The Next Files
by danceswithcybermen
Summary: This is my attempt to fix some of the "issues" with the finale and continue the story in a satisfying manner. Begins immediately following S11E10: My Struggle IV and follows Mulder & Scully through her second pregnancy and beyond. Where do they go from here?
1. Chapter 1

He felt like his legs were about to give out, but he mustered every bit of his strength to remain standing so that he could hold her as she sobbed. He had to be the strong one, for her. Everything was quiet now other than the sounds of water sloshing in the harbor and boats creaking. The whole scene would have been quite peaceful if it weren't for the extreme emotional swings he'd just had, in both directions, losing one miracle child only to find out he was about to become a father to a second one.

Part of him was over the moon to hear that the love of his life was pregnant again. Although she hadn't mentioned it again since their night at the motel, he knew she yearned for more children, and he'd always regretted not being able to give them to her. Scully loved kids, and she should have had the chance to have as many of them as she wanted.

A few weeks ago, in the church, she had told him that she wanted out of the game, out of the car. She wanted to settle down and establish a home with him and, ultimately, with William. If they did manage to locate him, they would have to legally adopt him. Mulder had begun looking into the process. They stood a better chance if they were married, and he was planning on asking her. He was certain she'd say yes; he just hadn't found the right moment.

Now all this had happened. His elation over the new pregnancy was clouded by guilt and grief. How could he rejoice in the news of a second child when they'd just watched their first one be murdered?

Scully's sobs quieted, and he heard emergency sirens in the distance. He had much to ask her and tell her, but he was exhausted, mentally and physically, they had a long drive home, and they had to deal with the authorities before they could leave.

He kissed the top of her head, and she pulled away from his chest to face him. He kissed her forehead. "I love you; you know that."

"Yes." She pulled him into a long, deep kiss.

He put his hand back on her abdomen. "How long have you known?"

"I found out today, at my doctor appointment. I was going to tell you as soon as I got home, but then as soon as I pulled up to the house, Monica called and-" she trailed off, shaking her head. "Mulder, what are we going to DO? We're both in our FIFTIES."

The sirens grew much louder, and they both saw red and blue flashing lights. He gestured towards them.

"We've got to go take care of all this first. We'll talk about all this at home, but I'll tell you right now, I'm not going anywhere. There is no fucking way I'll let it be like it was last time. I don't care what happens, I don't care what I have to do. I am not leaving you or this baby. No matter what, we're in this together, as a family," he promised.

She nodded, and they kissed again. He took her hand – they didn't give a shit who knew at this point; their careers at the FBI were over, anyway – and they walked towards the emergency lights.


	2. Chapter 2

They were stranded at the docks for two more hours. Skinner and Monica had survived, but both were rushed to the hospital. Monica got away with being grazed by Skinner's bullet, but the Assistant Director was far worse off, having sustained multiple broken bones and possible spinal injuries.

The divers found Carl Spender's body, or at least what was left of it. While he fell into the water in one piece, he was removed in parts. The remains looked as if they had been torn apart by wild animals, and the back of his head looked like it had exploded. Mulder was sorely tempted to spit – or better yet, take a piss – in the body bag. He didn't know for certain what had happened to the black lung bastard in the water, but having watched William dispatch Erica Price and her goons at the motel, he had his suspicions, especially since the divers had found no evidence of a second body.

Maybe there was hope.

Scully had the same suspicions. "He's still alive," she whispered to her partner as the body bag was carted away. "I can still feel him. I think he did this. I think he wanted to make sure Cancer Man didn't come back this time." She looked up at Mulder with pleading eyes. "Those things I said about William not being ours, about him being an experiment, I didn't mean them. I was in shock, I thought he was dead, and we have another child on the way who we need to raise. I don't know what we should do now. I just don't know."

She was shivering and had dark circles under her eyes. Mulder pulled her close to him. "It's going to be okay, Scully. We'll figure all of this out. We always do. We've always handled everything that's been thrown at us, haven't we?" She nodded. "Let's get out of here. We need to get you home so you can rest."

As they began to make their way back to their car, Deputy Director Kersh appeared on the scene. Mulder and Scully picked up their pace, hoping to get away before he spotted them, but he looked right at them, pointed, and stomped toward them, blocking their path.

"What in the ever-living FUCK went on here, and where the HELL do you think you're going?" he screamed. "I've got an AD in critical condition, an agent in the hospital, bodies in the water, and local LEO's up my ass, not to mention the shitstorm you started on the internet—"

Mulder put himself between Scully and the furious Deputy Director and shouted right back at him. "Back off, asshole! She's pregnant, we've been out here for hours, and I'm taking her home. You'll get your fucking report."

"How dare you talk to me like that? Who do you think you are, Agent Mulder? I'll have your badge for this!"

"You don't have to take it," Mulder said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out his badge, thrust it in Kersh's face, then threw it on the ground. "There it is. I'm through. I'M FUCKING THROUGH WITH THIS SHIT, and I'm taking her home. NOW."

Kersh was dumbfounded. "What about your precious X-Files?"

Mulder guffawed. "You don't get it, do you? A bunch of files aren't what's precious to me. Not anymore. You can do whatever you want with them. I don't care. It's not my problem anymore." He turned to Scully, took her hand, and spoke softly. "Let's get you out of here." With one last glare at Kersh, he led her away.

Because of the long drive, Mulder was tempted to get a motel nearby, but then thought better of it. Years of distance running had trained him to push through fatigue and endure. He could make the drive, and Scully would be more comfortable at home.

Their home.

She had moved back in after her smart home was destroyed, but she hadn't said anything about the arrangement being permanent until after their conversation in the church. He had been given a second chance with her, one he'd never thought he'd get, one he probably didn't deserve. He'd solemnly vowed to never take her for granted again. He'd been taking his depression medication and had even seen a therapist for a while. The shrink had told him to set positive goals for himself, so he'd turned back to running and added weight training. The therapy sessions were a bust – it wasn't like he could be honest about all of the things he'd experienced – but the exercise regimen stuck. His exercise program was his therapy now.

That reminds me, he thought. I'll have to find a gym now that I can't use the FBI one anymore.

Scully had quickly fallen asleep in the passenger seat, and she didn't stir until they were close to their exit off the interstate. By that time, it was daybreak, and the sunlight fell across her face, prompting her to open her eyes. She'd been battling morning sickness, but amazingly, she didn't feel nauseous; she was actually hungry.

As if reading her mind, Mulder said, "Hey, I was going to stop at Wawa and grab some breakfast to take home. How are you feeling?"

She smiled. "That sounds good. I could really go for a pretzel if they have some."

Mulder chuckled. "Now that I think about it, you've been buying them a lot lately."

She smiled. She'd been having cravings for the store's signature soft pretzels, and they also quieted her stomach when she wasn't feeling well. She was glad that a new location had opened only a couple of miles from their house shortly after she'd moved back in. "Get me some chicken noodle soup if they have it, too."

The Wawa was in the middle of its morning rush when they pulled in. All of the "neighbors" they never saw and didn't know because the houses were so far apart were gassing their cars and getting coffee and food before making the drive into the city for work. As Mulder made his way to the touchscreen to order a breakfast hoagie and see if they had the soup Scully wanted, she headed to the register area. To her delight, it was stocked with fresh pretzels. She got two, then decided some chocolate milk would be nice, too, and maybe a donut. No, crap food isn't good for the baby, she thought. We have bananas at home; I'll eat those if I'm still hungry.

She felt eyes on her as she got two containers of milk out of the drink cooler. She turned around and saw a gentleman in his 40s, clad in business attire, looking at her; he quickly looked away when she caught his eye. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite place him. "Excuse me," she said. "Do I know you?"

He smiled at her. "From behind, I thought you were somebody else," he explained. "Sorry to have bothered you."

She was about to say something else to him, but then Mulder appeared behind her with their hot food order ticket and a cup of coffee. "They had the soup, Scully." She turned around to look at him, and then looked back for the man, but he'd melted away into the crowd. Mulder frowned. "Is everything okay?"

"I think so," she said. "I saw this guy looking at me. He said I looked like somebody else from behind. I think I've seen him before, but I can't remember where." A look of concern crossed his face, and she squeezed his hand. "I don't think he was somebody bad. I've probably just seen him here. There are several people in here I've seen before. I've been coming here to buy pretzels every day for the past three weeks."

Mulder wasn't convinced, but he didn't want to upset her, so he smiled. "You're right. Let's pay for this stuff and go wait for our order."

It took so long to get their order that Scully went through half a pretzel and one of her chocolate milks as they waited. By the time they were headed back to the car, provisions in hand, fatigue had set in again. Both of them just wanted to go home, eat, and go immediately to sleep. As they approached their vehicle, Scully stopped in her tracks, looking up at a billboard next to the store that she'd seen dozens of times but had never paid much attention to. It was for a personal injury attorney in the city, and the area was dotted with them:

DOUG GOT ME $1.2 MILLION!

YOU'RE THE MAN, DOUG!

There was a photo of the lucky plaintiff holding a giant check and beaming, standing next to a well-dressed man in his 40s.

Mulder followed her gaze, glanced up at the billboard, and chuckled. "Oh, that ambulance chaser. I saw someone complaining on the Nextdoor site about those ads."

"Mulder," she said, "that's the man I saw."

He looked at her, then back at the billboard, then back at her. "You saw Doug Miller? He's all the way in the city. Maybe he came out here hoping someone would slip in the new Wawa."

Scully shook her head. "I don't think it was really Doug Miller, Mulder."

His stomach dropped. He knew exactly what she was talking about. They both looked around but realized the futility of it. It was still absurdly busy, and it had taken a good 15 minutes to get their hot food order. If William had been there, he was probably long gone, or had at least altered his appearance.

Mulder put his arm around Scully's shoulders and planted a kiss on her temple. "Let's just go home. You need to rest, and if he's out there watching us, he'll show himself when he's ready."

Scully nodded. "You're right. I need to take care of myself."

Maybe it was the sleep she'd gotten, maybe it was the fact that she'd eaten something, or maybe it was just that she knew her son was still out there, but Scully felt a glimmer of hope breaking through her grief.


	3. Chapter 3

Mulder's cell phone beeped, and he picked it up to read a text message. "It's Arlene," he said. As he read the text, his expression shifted from worry to relief. "Good news. Skinner's not as bad off as they thought. He's in a lot of pain, and his days of running track are over, but he's stable, and they'll probably send him home in a day or two."

"We should go visit him," Scully said, downing the rest of her chocolate milk. "Ask her how Monica's doing, too. She tried to help us, Mulder. I just can't believe she was working with Cancer Man. There must be an explanation."

After they'd arrived home, Scully had eaten the rest of her pretzel and her soup, stashing the other pretzel for later and topping off her meal with a banana and an orange. Mulder watched her out of the corner of his eye and smiled as he typed a reply to Arlene. He'd noticed her recent predilection for Wawa pretzels, as well as a slight thickening around her midsection. Pregnancy hadn't crossed his mind; he'd just figured she was putting on some healthy and sexy curves, and he loved it. He loved it even more now that he knew their child was growing inside her.

She noticed him eyeing her from across the kitchen table. "What's so funny?"

"No, nothing's funny. I was just thinking…" There was no way he was going to tell her what he'd really been thinking; he knew better than to comment on a woman's eating habits or weight. He finished typing his text and put his phone down. "I was just thinking about the baby." Wow, he thought, it feels really weird to say that. "How far along are you?"

"Eight weeks."

He did some mental math. "So, about the time your smart house exploded?"

"Yes, and I moved back home with you." She blushed, remembering how Mulder had gone on a mission to prove that she didn't need a smart sex toy, or any sex toy. "At first, I thought I was just going into menopause, but then I started getting sick and fatigued, and having cravings. I took three home pregnancy tests, then went to a doctor to make sure. I didn't want to say anything until I was sure." His smile grew wider. She scooted her chair over so that she was right next to him, and she took both of his hands in hers. "You're okay with this?"

"Okay? Are you kidding me? I'm over the moon about it," he assured her. "I know you really wanted this, and I wanted to give it to you."

"But we're not young anymore, Mulder. We'll be in our seventies when this baby is in high school. How are we going to handle this? What if something happens to one of us, or both of us?" she teared up, and he pulled her into a hug.

"In case you haven't noticed, Scully, I'm in really good shape for my age, and so are you. If we just keep doing what we're doing, we'll be fine."

"But eventually, old age is going to catch up with us."

He pulled back and gave her a serious look. "Being young when you have a kid is no guarantee you'll get to watch them grow up. We've both seen people die way before their time and leave kids behind, and we've both seen kids die before their parents. We've also both seen parents who shouldn't have been parents, at any age." Like the fucker who was my sperm donor, he thought. "I think love is what's most important to a kid, not how old their parents are."

Scully nodded. "I know you're right. I know you are, but this is a high-risk pregnancy just because of my age. Dr. Adams said that I'm very healthy, but I need to go for lots of checkups and take it easy. I'm going to have to quit the FBI, assuming Kersh doesn't fire me first, and I don't see the point in looking for another job until the baby is here." She, too, felt strange talking about "the baby"; it still didn't seem quite real to her.

"We'll figure it out, Scully. We own this house free and clear, we've got money saved, and you've got an insurance settlement coming on that smart house. We'll be okay, especially since I'm here this time. I'm going to be here for your doctors' appointments, your scans, your morning sickness, everything. I'm going to be here to watch your belly grow and feel our child kick. I'm going to be here to help you shop for baby furniture and toys and clothes. I'm not going to miss a thing. I'm not going anywhere, no matter what." He gave her a kiss, then pulled her close to him again.

He came to a decision.

"Excuse me," he said, pulling away from her and pushing his chair back. Scully figured he was going to the bathroom, but instead, he went over to his desk in their living area, rummaged through a drawer, and pulled something out. He returned with a small velvet box.

She felt her heart jump. No, this couldn't be what she was thinking.

He got down on one knee in front of her, and she gasped. He opened the box to reveal a small but elegant diamond ring. "I've been waiting for the perfect moment, but I don't think there is such a thing. It's time. I love you. I've loved you for a quarter of a century, and I'll love you forever. You are it for me. Dana Katherine Scully, will you marry me?"

Tears streamed down her face, and she found herself unable to speak for a few long moments. There was a time, in the not-so-distant past, when uncertainty would have given her pause, when she would have suspected that the only reason he was doing this was because she was pregnant. She knew now that this was not the case, and she regretted that they hadn't done this years before. Mulder was it for her, too, baby or no baby. "Yes," she finally managed to choke out. "Yes, I'll marry you."

He let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. They both shook as he slipped the ring on her finger. "It's beautiful," she said.

"It was my grandmother's, and then my mom's. I had it reset for you." He got back into his chair, leaned over to kiss her tenderly, then kept his forehead against hers and held her hands. "I need to tell you something. When you had your DNA tested against William's, I had them run mine, too. Maybe he was created in a laboratory. I don't know, and I don't know why he can do the things he can. Maybe it has something to do with your chip, or the experiments they did on both of us. But he was, is, my son, biologically. Our son."

Scully wasn't surprised at the "revelation" about William. She suspected that Skinner had been lied to. William looked too much like Mulder to not be his son. "I'm convinced he's staying away to protect us, Mulder. We shouldn't chase him. He'll come to us when he's ready, when he feels it's safe."

"I think so, too." He got up and held out a hand to her. "Let's go to bed – to sleep," he quickly added. "I know you're exhausted. I am, too. We'll make up for it later." He wiggled his eyebrows, and she giggled and followed him upstairs.


	4. Chapter 4

When Mulder awoke, it was mid-afternoon. Scully was still asleep beside him, clad only in panties and one of his old tee-shirts. He put his arm around her, putting his hand under the shirt so that he could feel her bare abdomen. Her baby bump was small but distinct.

So, all of this had really happened; he hadn't been dreaming.

She stirred, murmuring his name, then turned on her back to look up at him. "What time is it?"

He gave her a soft kiss. "About 2:30. I'm going to take a shower. You don't have to get up yet." He'd been too tired to take one earlier; he'd simply washed his face and stripped down to his boxers. Leaving her in bed, he headed for the bathroom, emptied his bladder, then stepped into the shower. Before everything had happened the day before, he'd done a rather ambitious chest and back workout, and the warm water felt good on his stiff, aching muscles.

As he soaped up, he heard Scully using the toilet. Then, the shower curtain slid aside, and she stepped in with him, grinning and wearing nothing but the ring he'd slipped on her finger that morning. "You promised we'd make up for it later," she teased.

"That I did," he said. Suddenly, he didn't notice his muscle aches anymore, and every spare ounce of blood in his body had rushed down to his cock.

She moved under the water with him, wet her hair, then worked shampoo through it. Whenever he saw her with wet hair, he remembered them standing in the pouring rain during their first case together in Oregon. She was just as beautiful to him now as she had been all those years ago, maybe even more so. He was attracted to her the moment he saw her, but he didn't know the first thing about the young woman who had walked into his office only days before. He had 25 years of history and love with the older one standing before him now, his fiancée, his best friend and the love of his life, the woman who had borne him one child and was carrying another.

She knew she was making him crazy. She took her time lathering up her hair and rinsing, then put her arms around his neck and pulled him into a long, deep kiss, nibbling on his bottom lip and then opening her mouth to give his tongue entrance. He moved his hands up and down her body, lovingly exploring the new curves her pregnancy was giving her and palming her ass cheeks. She moved her hands down his chest and abdomen. She could feel the effects of his exercise regime; he was rock-solid, more muscular and fit than most men half his age. When she got to her favorite muscle, she ran her hand up and down the swollen, throbbing shaft, and he groaned into her mouth.

She broke away, released his cock, and turned her back to him. "Soap me up," she purred, rubbing her backside against his groin, "and make sure you get all of me."

"You're going to kill me, woman," he said in a strained voice. He stood to her side, kissing her neck and nibbling on her earlobe as he slowly ran the bath sponge up and down her back. She tilted her head back and sighed. He crouched down to soap up her legs, front and back, stopping just short of her sexual center and making her groan her frustration. "Not just yet," he teased as he moved behind her and pressed his cock into her ass as he soaped up her front, cupping her breasts with his hands and squeezing her nipples.

She moaned and thrust her backside into him. She'd always had sensitive breasts – it was like her nipples had a direct connection with her clit – and her pregnancy put the sensations on steroids. She could tell she was soaking wet, and not just from the shower. When he got to her abdomen, he gently caressed her baby bump. "I love you so much," he whispered into her ear.

When he finally put one hand in between her legs, moving his fingers along her folds and brushing her clit, she shrieked. A wave of pleasure shot through her that nearly caused her to lose her balance. "Oh my god, Mulder," she moaned. "Rinse. Bed. Now."

"I agree," he said, thankful he'd had the strength to stabilize her. Shower sex always worked better in porn flicks than in real life, he thought. He used the pull-down showerhead to thoroughly rinse her. She got out of the tub and quickly toweled off as he doused himself. They kissed as she rubbed him up and down with a towel. He backed her out into their bedroom, then down onto their bed.

He got on top of her and kissed his way down her body, sucking and biting on her nipples, then kissing and caressing her baby bump. Finally, he positioned himself in between her legs. He looked up and grinned at her before using his fingers to open her folds and taking a long, loving lick. She clutched the sheets and cried out his name, bucking her hips against his face as he tongue-fucked her and worked her clit with his thumb. Finally, she screamed and arched her back, and he felt a rush of warm wetness against his face as her walls convulsed around his tongue.

He gave her a moment to catch her breath before making his way up to kiss her. He loved giving her oral sex, and she loved tasting herself on him afterwards; it never failed to evoke a new round of arousal, a pulsation deep inside her. "I need you to fuck me," she whispered, and she mewed with pleasure as he slid into her, filling her completely.

"God, you're wet," he moaned. He was close, and he purposefully held back, moving slowly and pausing to suck on her nipples to make it last longer. She knew what he was doing, and it made her crazier and crazier. Finally, neither one of them could take it anymore. She wrapped her legs around him and thrust her hips up against him. He met her and moved his hand in between them to stimulate her clit again, struggling to hold off until he heard her shriek and felt her shudder underneath him. A few thrusts later, he followed her, crying out as he came inside her and feeling the sensation all the way down to his toes.

They lay still for a few minutes, savoring their afterglow together. Finally, he slid off her and to her side, rolling her over so that they were face-to-face and taking her into his arms. He reached for her left hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing her engagement ring. "I can hardly wait until you're my wife," he told her.

"When do you want to get married?" she asked.

"That's up to you. What kind of wedding do you want, Scully? It's your big day."

"It's _our_ big day."

"Don't you want anything in particular? I know this kind of thing is important to women."

She shook her head. "Not to this woman, and not at this point in our lives. I don't care about making a big show. We don't know a lot of people, anyway. I just want to get married. We can go to the courthouse and do it this week for all I care." She paused, thinking about it for a moment. "I guess we could wait until Skinner is out of the hospital and invite him and Arlene to be our witnesses."

"I think they'd like that. Then, we could all come back here and grill up some steaks. It's getting nice enough to cook outside again." The year before, Mulder had bought a charcoal Weber and found that he really enjoyed using it.

"Ooh, maybe not steaks. You'd have to burn mine. I'm not allowed to have an 'undercooked' steak, or sushi, or lunchmeat."

"Oh shit, I forgot all about that." Mulder frowned. "Okay, well, maybe we can all go out for Italian or something."

"We can go out for pizza for all I care. I just want to marry you." They kissed. "Now that I think of it, I'd rather do it sooner than later, before I grow out of my clothes. I'm not going to buy an overpriced dress to wear one time, but I'd like to be able to wear something that doesn't look like a mumu."

Mulder laughed, then got up to dress. "Maybe we can go see Skinner tonight or tomorrow, and we'll bring it up then. I'll get my phone and see what Arlene has to say."

"So, she's at the hospital with him. Does that mean they're dating again or what?" It was an open secret at the bureau that Skinner and his long-time secretary had been seeing each other on and off for years.

Mulder shrugged. "Who knows? I think they may be the only couple I've ever known whose relationship has been more convoluted than ours."


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes: Thanks for all the follows and kind remarks! I know this story is very dialogue-heavy and is moving quite slowly, but a lot was left out of MS4, and most of the questions will be answered earlier rather than later to set the stage for the rest of this saga. I have big plans!**

 _She opened her eyes and found herself back in her old apartment, the one where she'd lived before going on the run with Mulder. It was the same but different, the way things often are in dreams. There was a crib next to her bed. From the next room, she heard the sound of a baby crying and a male voice soothing it._

 _She rose and made her way into the living area. William was sitting on the couch, holding an infant in his lap and distracting it with a small stuffed fox. He looked up at Scully. "She's beautiful," he told her. The infant's features were murky, in a shadow, but one thing was clear; she had red hair._

 _Scully sat down next to him and the baby. Instead of feeling fright and anguish, as she'd felt during previous dreams that involved William, she felt peaceful. Sad, but still peaceful. William smiled. "I'm getting better at this, and so are you. That's why we're here. I let you choose this time."_

 _"Where are you? Will we ever see you again?" she asked._

 _"I'm around. You know that. You saw me the other morning. You'll see me when it's safe, when I know it's safe. I think Mulder and that Monica lady may have made it safe, but I have to be sure."_

 _"Monica? What do you know about her?"_

 _"You need to talk to her about that. It's not my story to tell." The scene began to dissolve._

Scully's eyes opened. She was home, in her bed, facing the window. It was morning. She was somewhat startled, but it wasn't a violent awakening, just an abrupt end to a dream. She wondered if that could have been all it was, a dream, although she couldn't quite shake the feeling that it was more.

They had stayed in the night before. Scully had felt fatigued, and Arlene had told them that while Skinner was continuing to do well, he was spending most of his time sleeping. They decided it would be best to head to the hospital the next day.

She reached behind for Mulder but came up empty. There was a note on his pillow: "Went to Wawa to get you a pretzel. BRB. Love, M." Her stomach filled with warmth, thinking of how much this man loved her, but the next moment, she blanched. She ran into the bathroom and lost what little was left in her stomach from the previous night's meal.

By the time Mulder's car pulled back onto their property, she had cleaned herself up and was feeling better. She went out onto the porch to greet him. It was an unseasonably warm morning, the air was full of birdsong, and she could see the first signs of spring in the green buds on the trees.

She wanted to discuss her dream with him, but an idea occurred to her that she wanted to bring up first, especially since she wasn't sure how Mulder would react. Would the message in the dream cause him to feel hope or sadness?

"What do you think of getting married here?" she asked Mulder as he climbed the stairs onto the porch. She gestured towards their outdoor table and chairs. He set her pretzel and chocolate milk and his breakfast hoagie and coffee on the table, gave her a quick kiss, and sat down.

"Here at the house?"

She nodded. "Why not? We have all this land, it's beautiful here, and we could have the barbeque you talked about. Just don't serve me a burnt steak," she joked.

Mulder smiled. Her suggestion was more personal than a courthouse wedding, and it felt appropriate for them to marry at the home they'd built together. "I think that's a great idea. We just need to find an officiant."

"I think I have that covered. You remember my friend Scott?"

"The guy who was supposed to come to your smart house for dinner before it blew up?" Mulder had seen her exchanging texts with him and was rather unhappy about it until she explained that Scott was married – to another man. He was a nurse at Our Lady of Sorrows and had been one of the few people Scully associated with on any level outside of work.

"He got ordained by one of those online churches a few months ago so that he could perform a ceremony for two of his friends." She paused, wondering if she should tell Mulder that Scott had helped her a lot during their separation. He and his husband had split up for a while as well, and they had bonded over their shared predicament of being involved in complicated relationships that they couldn't discuss openly at their Catholic workplace. She decided against it; bringing up that dark time would only cause him pain. "I'll send him a text and ask him." She pulled her phone out of her pocket and began typing.

"Have you gotten any texts from Kersh?" Mulder asked, taking a bite of his hoagie.

Scully scowled. "A bunch, telling me to call so that we can 'discuss' everything. I think he wants to fire me, but he's afraid to because of the pregnancy. He's probably going to be relieved when I hand him my resignation. Have you heard anything?"

"No. I think I scared the shit out of him the other night."

Scully gave him a level look. "Do you regret what you did? I don't think there's any way of coming back after this."

Mulder shook his head and reached over the table to take both of her hands in his. "No, absolutely not. I'd do it all over again. I made you a promise outside that church that I'd get out of the car and build a life with you, one that doesn't involve chasing monsters in the dark anymore. I intended to keep that promise even before I knew we had a baby on the way. My timeline just got moved up a little bit."

"But the X-Files were your life's work—"

"The X-Files were the obsession of a young man who didn't have any other priorities in his life. You and our family are my priorities now." His voice broke. "You should have been my priority 20 years ago. Maybe we wouldn't have a son out there who's afraid to come home. I'm so sorry, Dana. I'll spend the rest of my life making it all up to you."

She put down her pretzel, scooted her chair closer to him, and pressed her forehead against his. "Please don't do that. Just spend it loving me." They sat like that for a few minutes, in silence, before finally breaking it with a kiss. "Our son won't be afraid to come home forever. We will see him again, soon, I think, as soon as he knows it's safe. He just wants to make sure it's safe. That's all he's waiting for."

Mulder saw conviction and hope in her eyes. She wasn't just telling him this to make him feel better; her connection with William was intact. "Have you gotten any more messages from him?"

She nodded and told him about her dream the previous night. Mulder's eyes grew wide. "I asked Arlene how Monica was doing, and she told me that we needed to come talk to her." He let go of her hands and took a sip of his coffee. "Let's finish breakfast and get ready to go to the hospital."

Scully's phone dinged. She picked it up, read a text message, and laughed. "Oh god, Mulder. It's Scott."

"What's so funny?"

"He'd be thrilled to marry us, but maybe it wasn't the best idea to tell my gay friend that I just wanted a simple wedding. He's hearing none of that. He's saying he's got these friends who can fix me up with a dress and all kinds of things on a budget." She began typing a reply. "Don't worry; I'll rein him in. We'll probably see him at the hospital. He's working day shift today."

Mulder smiled. He was hoping that this Scott guy got his way, or at least part of his way. Just because their wedding was going to be tiny didn't mean it couldn't be beautiful. His fiancée deserved a beautiful wedding, complete with a long white dress and flowers and all the things women liked to have, the kind of wedding they should have had two decades before.


	6. Chapter 6

They were on their way to the hospital and stopped at a light. Mulder noticed a sign advertising office space for lease, and it prompted him to bring up something he'd been thinking about. "I know you mentioned looking for a job after the baby is born, but what if we didn't look for jobs at all?"

Scully looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean? We just both retire completely? I don't know if I want to do that."

"No, not retire, just not look for _jobs._ " He pointed at the sign. "What would you think about us working for ourselves?"

She had never considered this option, but it intrigued her. "Doing what?"

"I was thinking that with our experience and contacts, we could open up some sort of consultancy, advising law enforcement and maybe taking on some private cases. I haven't got it all completely worked out yet, but it's something I've been kicking around in my head ever since we talked in the church, and now that we're going to have a baby, I'm really interested in exploring it."

She thought about it for a moment. "You mean like on _Elementary_?"

Mulder laughed. "Yeah, kind of like that. We could take on the cases we want, turn down the ones we don't, stay close to home, set our own schedules, and maybe hire some people if we find there's a lot of interest." They arrived at the hospital, and he turned into the parking structure.

"Well, I'm not opposed to it, but I've never thought of myself as an entrepreneur."

"I didn't, either, but what's so great about working for other people? The FBI chewed us both up and spit us out. Even when you worked at the hospital, they ran you ragged."

She snorted, remembering marathon shifts and brief periods of sleep on cots. "You've got a point, there."

He located a suitable spot, parked the car, and turned off the engine. "We don't have to do anything right now. I don't know if I want to do anything until after the baby is born, but we can start looking into our options and seeing if this idea would work." He took her hand in his. "I meant what I said about our family being my priority. That's my whole reasoning behind this. I think that if we worked for ourselves, we could prioritize our family, but if it's not going to work out that way, we'll figure out something else."

"I know, Mulder." She leaned across the center console, and they exchanged a quick kiss. "Let's go see Skinner."

Mulder noticed that despite having worked at Our Lady of Sorrows for several years, Scully greeted very few people on their way up to Skinner's room, and most of the time, the "greeting" was nothing more than a nod of acknowledgement. "I didn't know most of these people very well, and a lot of the faces have changed," she explained. "Hospital environments are very stressful. There's a lot of turnover." She looked up at him. "That's why I'm not opposed to the idea of us starting our own company."

Two FBI agents were stationed outside Skinner's room; they recognized Mulder and Scully and waved them through. Skinner looked banged up, and his right arm and left leg were in casts, but he was alert and chatting amicably with Arlene and Monica. The latter was sitting in a wheelchair, hooked up to an IV and with her head partially wrapped in bandages.

Monica gave Scully a sorrowful look. "Dana, I'm so sorry. I need to explain."

Scully gave her a reassuring smile as she and Mulder found seats. "I had a feeling there was more to the story; I couldn't imagine you working with the Smoking Man. I think we all have a lot to talk about. How are you doing?"

"I got grazed by the bullet. I needed stiches, and I'm concussed, but they're talking about letting me go tomorrow."

"Agent Reyes and I both got really lucky," Skinner added. He looked at Mulder. "I understand you had … quite the blowup with Kersh on the docks. There's no way of saving your badge now, Agent Mulder."

"I don't want to save it. I threw it on the ground and walked away from it, and I'm not sorry I did it. I've had it. I'm done."

Skinner wasn't sure how to word his next question. "So, I've heard rumors about something Agent Mulder supposedly said that night, and I'm not sure if they're true-"

"That I'm pregnant?" Scully asked. "Yes. Yes, I am. And I'm done, too, but I haven't told Kersh yet."

Monica and Arlene gasped; Skinner's eyes grew wide. Mulder and Scully smiled, putting the others at ease. "Yeah, it kind of caught us off-guard, too," Mulder joked.

"By the way, the Smoking Man lied to you," Scully told him. "Mulder tested his DNA against William's when I had mine tested. William was – is – our son."

Skinner sighed. "I should have known that. I'm sorry, Agent Scully, and congratulations."

Arlene stood up. "Yes, congratulations, both of you." She touched Skinner's hand. "I have to get back to the office. I'll come by again later."

"Before you go, Arlene, we'd like to ask you and AD Skinner something," Mulder said. He looked at Scully, and they joined hands. "The little woman and I are finally getting hitched." That got him an elbow to the ribs. "Nothing big, just a small ceremony at our home, and we'd like you to be our witnesses."

Arlene, Skinner, and Monica all broke into wide grins. Skinner laughed. "Well, it's about time! It only took you two, what, 20 years? Congratulations again. I'd be happy to."

"Me too," Arlene added. "You deserve all the happiness in the world. Now, I really do have to get back to the office before _I'm_ out of the FBI!" She gave Mulder and Scully quick hugs and left.

"I'm so happy for you," Monica said. "I wasn't really working with that bastard. You know that, right? I would never have done that." She paused to collect her thoughts. "There's so much. I don't know where to start."

"We know," Scully assured her. "Just take your time."


	7. Chapter 7

Monica poured herself a cup of water, took a breath, and began.

"Spender was insane. He was always evil, but there was some method to his madness before. He'd completely lost his mind. Even the people in his inner circle knew it, which is why some of them splintered off."

"Erica Price and her group," Mulder said.

"Exactly. They think it was because of all the alien technology he used on himself, especially the regenerative technology. It regenerated his body, to some extent, and for a while, but his mind deteriorated," Monica explained. "First, it was about him wanting to live forever. Then, he got some batshit idea about the world needing to be 'cleansed.' He would babble about the Biblical flood. He wanted to end the world and repopulate it with some kind of a super race."

"Why did he approach you to work with him?" Scully asked.

Monica shook her head. "I'm not sure, but I think it may have been to try to get at you somehow. He was obsessed with you, and with your son. I decided to play along so I could put an end to his madness. I made sure his techs sabotaged his virus production. It wasn't hard. Everyone knew he was insane, and it's kind of hard to recruit people who are devoted to the cause of ending the world." She laughed bitterly. "But it was dangerous work, so I sent John and our daughter to Mexico to hide – oh, I forgot, you don't know, do you? John Doggett and I are married. We have a daughter. Her name is Luciana. She just turned 12." She teared up. "I snuck down there to visit when I could, but I haven't seen them in three years; it hasn't been safe. They can finally come home now."

Mulder gave her a moment to compose herself before speaking. "What I don't understand is, why did everyone want our son?"

"I was embedded in Spender's inner circle for years. I learned things, and I saw things; the scariest and most hopeless things, but also the most amazing and wonderful things. There is a race of aliens who can regenerate their entire bodies if they're sick or injured but not yet dead. They look like us. I was told we had the same beginnings as them, but their evolution took a different path. We've tried to replicate their technology; so have other alien races, but no one has ever been able to perfect it, and even they can only do it a certain number of times. I don't completely understand why; no one does, and they're not telling. We do know it has something to do with them only having so much regenerative energy." She looked directly at Scully. "Spender's lung cancer had come back, and all of his regenerative energy was gone. He'd tried all kinds of injections and procedures to restore it, but none of them worked. He was dying. He wanted to somehow extract your son's. I don't know if that would even be possible, but he wanted to attempt it. So did Erica Price's group. They wanted to pull him apart and try to figure it out. What they didn't count on was him having all those other powers."

She paused to take a drink of water and to allow Mulder and Scully time to take everything in. It was a lot, she knew, and she wasn't done yet. The pair looked at Skinner, who nodded and said, "You really want to hear what she has to say next."

"For decades, humans have been experimenting with stolen alien technologies that are beyond their comprehension. Their experiments were largely shots in the dark. Dana, you and Mulder were both subjected to some of these experiments, and both of you have regenerated. I'm not sure how it happened, but I am 100% certain that William was not created in a laboratory. I don't know whether some of your ova were regenerated when your cancer was cured, or whether not all of them were taken from you to begin with, or if it had something to do with your trip to Africa. The monsters who experimented on you didn't know, either, because they didn't fully understand the technology they used on you. Spender didn't inseminate you; that was complete bullshit. He _did_ expose your son to some sort of alien technology in utero, very early in your pregnancy, which is why William is the way he is."

Scully's eyes grew wide. "What about this new baby?"

Monica put her hand on Scully's. "Not exposed to what your son was, so there's no reason to think he or she will be any different than you and Mulder. If anything, you might have an easier pregnancy than you're expecting. Whatever happened may have lengthened your reproductive years, so your 'parts' may be 'younger' than the rest of your body."

Scully couldn't help but laugh at that. The notion was completely absurd, but so was … well, everything Monica had just said, and everything that had happened to her and to Mulder over the past 25 years, including this surprise pregnancy. Nearing retirement age with brand-new "parts." Great. He was _so_ getting a vasectomy.

Monica rubbed her forehead. It was obvious the morning had been taxing on her, on top of everything else she'd been through. "I know you probably have more to ask me, but I really need to go back to my room and lie down. John and Lucy are going to be here tomorrow. Maybe we can all get together after I go home. I know John would love to see you both."

Scully gave her a hug. "Thanks, Monica, and do come to our wedding. John and your daughter, too."

Mulder hugged Monica as well. "No problem, Monica. Give John my best." She wheeled out of the room, and Mulder and Scully turned their attention to Skinner. "One thing I didn't have a chance to ask her; do you know if it's safe? For William, I mean. He told us that the reason why he was running away was because the people after him would never stop, and he was afraid of putting us in danger."

Skinner nodded. "Monica did her best to destroy all of the digital and paper records related to him, and the other children like him. She _thinks_ she got them all; she had other people working to help her. Spender isn't coming back this time; he doesn't have the power to do so. And from what I heard, you and your son took out Erica Price, all of her lieutenants, and a bunch of her foot soldiers. There's no leadership structure anymore."

"Take out the leadership, and the followers usually scatter," Mulder said.

"Bottom line, I don't think there's anyone left who remembers who your son is."

 **Notes:** Yes, _Doctor Who_ fans, she is talking about the Time Lords, but I'm not going to tag this story as a crossover because they're just mentioned in passing, not seen or even referred to by name.


	8. Chapter 8

Even though Monica's knowledge of events was incomplete, she had arguably filled in more gaps for Mulder and Scully in 15 minutes than anyone else had in 20 years. She didn't know everything, but she knew enough. No wonder she had sent her family away. Likely, her life would always be in danger because of the things she knew, Mulder thought, but since she had told her husband and daughter to come home, she must feel that she and they are as safe now as they're ever going to be. If she waited for a perfect scenario, she'd never see them again or be able to move on with her life.

Both he and Scully knew the feeling.

He fervently hoped that their son would come to the same conclusion. He could use his powers to protect himself, but despite his otherworldly capabilities, he was still a 17-year-old boy, with the same impulsivity and immaturity as any teenager. Plus, he had been severely traumatized and was clearly suffering the aftereffects. He wasn't ready to be out on his own, and he needed guidance and love to overcome his multiple traumas.

Mulder also worried about what Monica had mentioned about the regenerative technology, that it stopped working after a while, even for the alien race who had allegedly perfected it. He wondered how often his son had regenerated and how many "regenerations" he had left in him, and if he knew this particular power was not unlimited. He also wondered about his son's other powers. Perhaps they weren't unlimited, either. The boy needed to know about these possibilities; he needed to learn to not depend on his powers to get him out of every situation.

Skinner interrupted his train of thought. "So, if you two aren't coming back to the Bureau, what do you think you'll do next?"

"Mulder was thinking we could start our own consulting firm," Scully offered. "I hadn't considered it before, but it makes sense at this point in our lives. We don't want to retire, but we both want to get out of the car, and we don't want anyone else raising our child." A flash of pain appeared across her face as she realized how she'd phrased that last part.

Mulder squeezed her hand and continued. "We've made enough law enforcement contacts over the years; most of the cases we get right now are from people who reach out to us. If we were in charge of which cases we wanted, and how many we wanted to take on, we could make sure we both have time for our family."

Skinner nodded and looked at his own injuries. "I think it may be time for me to figure out what I'm going to do next. Working for yourself doesn't sound like a bad idea."

There was a knock at the door, and a man's voice asked, "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

Scully broke into a wide smile, stood up, and approached the visitor. "Scott! No, not at all. Come in!"

"So great to see you again, Dana!" Scott said as Scully wrapped him in a hug. He was an extraordinarily good-looking man. He was short, maybe three or four inches taller than Scully, but quite fit, probably in his late 40s but with a full head of blond hair that made him appear younger. He had stunning blue eyes that were set off by his blue scrubs. If Mulder didn't know he was gay, he'd have been jealous that this man was touching his fiancée.

After they broke from their hug, Scott approached Mulder, hand extended and with a warm smile. "And you must be Mulder. Dana has told me so much about you."

"I don't know if that's really a good thing," Mulder joked. The two men shook.

"Oh, this woman loves you, Mulder." He turned to Scully and whispered in her ear, "My god, he's even hotter in person than he is in his pictures!"

Scully giggled and pushed him playfully. Mulder couldn't hear what they'd joked about, but Skinner had caught it and suppressed a laugh. Okay, so that's why Mulder didn't appear upset at Scully hugging this particular man, he thought.

"Scott, this is my boss – well, soon-to-be ex-boss – Walter Skinner. Walter, this is Scott Allen. We worked together here at the hospital."

"I've heard about you, too," Scott said, shaking Skinner's good hand. "Only good things! Dana doesn't trash-talk. That's one of the things I really like about her."

"Scott's going to be officiating our wedding ceremony," Scully explained, then turned to her friend and wagged a finger at him. "And only officiating, not _planning_ it."

"Oh, come on, Dana. Just because you're having a small wedding doesn't mean it can't be nice! At least let me get you hooked up with a dress and maybe some flowers."

"I'm not 23 years old. I don't want to spend $1,000 on a dress that I'm going to wear once, in my yard, in front of maybe eight people."

"You don't have to spend anywhere near that. One of my friends owns a bridal shop. The hottest trend now is 'casual' wedding dresses. They're a hundred bucks, maybe two hundred if you really want to luxe out." He pulled his phone out of his pocket and showed her some pictures.

Scully appeared to waver as she looked at the dresses. Mulder cleared his throat. "You know, Scully, maybe Scott is right. We're only going to get married once. We can do a few things to make it nice without going overboard."

Scott pointed at Mulder. "Now see? Even your man agrees. Let me help you with this. You deserve it."

"Mmph." Scully tried to look annoyed, but some of the dresses _were_ gorgeous, and there were styles that fit loosely around the abdomen. "Well, I suppose I could go to your friend's shop and see what he's got."

Scott beamed. "Have you gotten rings yet?"

Scully shook her head. "Just my engagement ring. The stone belonged to Mulder's mother."

"Oh, gorgeous! I know a jeweler where you can get your bands; I'll text you the deets. Don't buy anything without checking with me first." He looked around to ensure there were no hospital personnel within earshot. "Gays couldn't get married ourselves for years, but the wedding industry wouldn't have functioned without us." The walkie-talkie on his belt went off, and he answered it and told the voice at the other end that he was on the way. "Well, duty calls. I am absolutely swamped, but I wanted to stop by and say hi."

"I still owe you a dinner," Scully reminded him. "And Ben, if he's not traveling. I want to meet your husband and show both of you our home."

"Oh my god, what happened to your old place was crazy! I'm glad I live in a dumb house. I don't want my house to be smarter than me." He headed for the door. "I really do have to get back to my unit. It was nice meeting both of you!"

Skinner smiled at his soon-to-be-ex-employees. He was sorry to see them leave the Bureau, but he understood why they felt the way they did and was glad they were leaving on their own terms. He was also happy to see they'd found their way back to each other. He'd suspected they were back together romantically – after all, Scully had referred to Mulder's house as "our home"– but he'd looked the other way. They had never let their relationship interfere with their work, and after all the tragedies they'd endured, they deserved to be happy. "I'm happy for you two," he told them. "I really am. It looks like things are really coming together for you."

"We're glad to see you're okay," Mulder told him. "Well, I guess we'd better be going. I've got a business plan to work out, a house that needs to be cleaned up and baby-proofed, a nursery to put together, and a wedding to plan. For an unemployed guy, I've got an awful lot to do."

He and Scully bid their goodbyes and left. As Skinner watched them go, he reflected on his own life. It might be time for him to leave the Bureau – and finally decide where he wanted his relationship with Arlene to go. She'd been the first one to arrive at the hospital and had stayed by his side, day and night. Mulder and Scully weren't the only ones who deserved happiness; he and Arlene did, too. When he got out of the hospital, he was going to have a long talk with her.


	9. Chapter 9

"William sends you messages. Have you ever tried reaching out to him?"

They were on their way home. Scully had been playing with her phone, looking at some links Scott had sent her. She shut it off and looked at him. "No. I don't know how."

"Some of the things Monica said bothered me, about the ability to regenerate being unlimited," Mulder told her. "I wonder if he knows that, and if he knows all the other things we talked about. You said he was waiting until he was sure it was safe to come home."

She nodded. "I think that's part of it, but I also think he's just scared, Mulder. We may be his biological parents, but we're virtual strangers to him. In his mind, his 'real' parents were murdered a few months ago, and they were murdered because of him. Then, he has all those powers. It's a lot for anyone to process, let alone a teenager. I'm starting to get the impression that he doesn't want to dump all of this on us."

"We've handled worse."

"He doesn't know that, and I don't know how to convey it to him." She looked out the window; they were nearing their freeway exit. "I'll try. I know that chasing him down like he's a perp isn't the answer, but I'm worried about him, too."

They were driving down their rural road, about a half-mile from their home, when they noticed a car ahead, stopped on their side of the road. The car took off suddenly and at high speed. Scully gasped. "MULDER! WATCH OUT!"

"What the FUCK!" Mulder slammed on the brakes and stopped the Mustang just short of hitting a large dog who was standing in the road, looking at the direction in which the car had gone. He scowled. "You've got to be kidding. Assholes."

It was common for people to dump unwanted pets in their rural area. Usually, the unfortunate animals ended up being hit by cars, attacked by wild animals, starving to death, or succumbing to the elements. Mulder often passed by their remains when he was out on runs. While he wasn't a "pet person," he didn't like seeing animals hurt. It enraged him that people would throw away innocent lives like they were garbage.

"I think it's a German shepherd, a young one," Scully said as she pushed open her door.

"Scully, no! He could be vicious—"Before he could finish his sentence, she was bending over and talking softly to the dog, who had turned to look at her. After a few moments of hesitation, he began wagging his tail and approached her.

Scully loved dogs and had grown up with them, although she hadn't had much luck with them as an adult. Queequeg had been killed by an alligator within weeks of her taking him home, and she'd owned Daggoo for less than a year before he succumbed to cancer. She'd batted around the idea of getting a dog and -

Oh shit, Mulder thought. By the time he got out of the car, she was hugging the dog, who was rewarding her with kisses. "He's not that old," she observed. "He's still a puppy, maybe 7 or 8 months old."

Puppy? The dog was already a good 60 or 70 pounds, and his paws were enormous. He was a typical black-and-tan German shepherd. Mulder had seen enough law enforcement K9s to know they grew huge, especially the males.

She giggled as he licked her face. "He'll die if we leave him here. You know that. We've got lots of land, and I want our child to grow up with a dog."

"Scully," Mulder said gently. "You know, with everything we've got on our plates right now, I don't know if it's a good idea to take on another responsibility…" She shot him a withering look. He sighed. "My mistake. What I meant to say is, of course you can bring home a 70-pound puppy. Whatever makes you happy, sweetie-poo."

"Nice try, Mulder." She stood up and moved toward the car. "Come on, boy! Let's get in the car." Apparently, the dog knew what that meant; he hopped into the back seat as soon as Scully opened the door for him. Mulder cringed. There went his nice upholstery. As if reading his mind, Scully reminded him, "We're having a kid. The car seats were doomed, anyway."

Mulder got back in the car and turned around to look at the dog, who wagged his tail and yipped at him. If she has to have a dog, he thought, maybe it's better we're getting a big one. At least this one will double as a home security system. "I want to take him to a vet before we bring him home. The one across from Wawa has a sign that says they take walk-ins," he insisted. "And he's NOT sleeping in our bed. He's too big for that."

"You just said it yourself," Scully said as she fastened her seatbelt. "We've handled worse."

"Mmmmm." He had a baby on the way, a teenaged son on the run, a wedding to plan, a house to fix up, a business to start, and now, a dog. He yearned for simpler times, when all he had to worry about were mothmen, shape-shifting aliens, and a vast global conspiracy to hide the existence of extraterrestrial life.

"What a beautiful, happy boy! Bless you for saving him."

Dr. Collins patted their new dog, then entered some notes into the computer. Her clinic had been more than happy to accommodate Mulder and Scully when they explained they'd just picked up a dog someone had dumped on the road. They'd even given them a used collar and leash.

"He's so good-natured," Scully told the vet. The dog was energetic and loved to be hugged and cuddled, but he didn't make any fuss, even when he was poked, prodded, and vaccinated. "I don't know why anyone wouldn't want him."

"My guess is, he got 'too big' for his previous owners. A lot of large breeds end up abandoned at shelters." Dr. Collins smiled. "The good news is, he appears perfectly healthy. We'll run bloodwork to make sure. I'm guessing he's between 7 and 8 months old, so you'll want to have him neutered right away. I can schedule it for tomorrow morning, if you'd like."

Mulder visibly cringed. Poor dog. The women noticed it and exchanged a laugh. "That would be fine," Scully said.

"Great! Drop him off at 7:00 a.m. No food or drink after 10 tonight. He'll be ready to go home by lunchtime."

Mulder still felt a bit sorry for the dog. As they exited the clinic, Scully laughed. "It's just a little snip-snip. It will make him calmer and keep him from spraying the house."

"Yeah, well tell him that."

"Well, maybe you two can support each other. You heard what Monica said. Unless you want to be stuck with rubbers or a new kid every year until who-knows-when, you're getting it done, too."

Mulder gave the dog a sympathetic pat before loading him into the back seat. He leaned into the car, ruffled his fur, and asked him, "You sure you want to live in this household, buddy?"

"Come on, Mulder. We need to go to the pet store. We don't have a thing for him, and we need lunch. I'm starving!"

It seemed to Mulder that the dog needed as many new things as their baby would. Scully loaded the cart with food, treats, dog dishes, a giant bed, and a wide selection of toys. "If we give him his own stuff to destroy, he won't destroy ours," was her reasoning.

"This dog is going to live like a king," Mulder commented.

Scully stopped and looked at him. "That's a good name. King." She looked down at the dog. "Do you like that?" He wagged his tail. "King it is. Let's get him a name tag, too."

Mulder looked at a nearby display rack, smiled, and headed towards it. "Okay, you've made all the decisions about the dog until now. I get to make this one." He selected a New York Yankees dog collar and a matching leash. "This is what he's wearing."

Scully smiled. She'd turn Mulder into a "dog person" yet.


	10. Chapter 10

Mulder quickly admitted that King brought a lot of joy and laughter into their household. He loved catching balls, running around their land, and playing tug-of-war. He immediately took on a protective role with Scully. The first time he saw her throw up, he went to get Mulder, as if he understood that something was wrong and wondered if he should alert someone. He stayed close to her whenever she wasn't feeling well. Housetraining him was easy. He already knew he should "go" outside, and it was a simple matter of his new humans learning his signals.

Scully knew Mulder had accepted King as a member of their household when she came up behind him at his desk a few days after they brought the dog home and saw his internet search.

"How to train your dog to run with you?" She put her arms around him and pressed her cheek against his. "I thought you weren't a 'dog person.'"

Mulder shrugged. "May as well keep him healthy." She got into his lap, and they kissed. He put his hand on her belly. "Don't you have a doctor appointment tomorrow?"

"Yes. Dr. Adams wants to see me every Wednesday."

"I'll come with you." He pushed an errant lock of hair back behind her ear, gave her a wry smile, and gazed into her eyes as he stroked her cheek.

"We need to go to the FBI and get our personal items from our old office, too. We've been putting it off, and we need to just do it."

"Mmmm. Don't wanna talk about that right now." He pulled her close to him and nuzzled her neck. His hands wandered under her shirt. He reached around her back, and Scully thought he was about to unhook her bra when he suddenly froze.

"What's the matter?"

"That's the matter." King was sitting right beside them, looking up at them expectantly.

"Just ignore him, and he'll go away. He doesn't understand what's going on."

"Like hell he doesn't! Look at how he's watching us. Your dog is a voyeur." Scully burst into laughter. "I'm serious! Isn't it kind of kinky to have sex in front of a dog?"

"No, but even if you think it is, it's not like we've never done anything kinky before," she purred. She removed her shirt and bra, pressed herself against him, and nibbled on his earlobe. "Think of it this way," she whispered. "He can't have sex himself, so we're doing him a favor by letting him watch us."

"Dammit, this isn't fair. You know I can't argue with you when you're half-naked." It was true. Even after all these years, the sight of her body still excited him as much as it did their first time.

She covered his mouth with hers, and their tongues caressed. He moved his hands up to her breasts, kneading them and pinching her nipples, and she moaned into his mouth. He broke the kiss and trailed his tongue down her neck slowly, placing soft love bites on the places he knew drove her crazy as he made his way to her breasts. She gasped as he took one nipple into his mouth, suckling and teasing it with his tongue as he used his fingers to rub and pinch the other one. She was writhing in his lap, her back arched.

The desk chair creaked ominously.

"Couch?" she asked.

"Got a nice, big bed upstairs," he replied.

They ran up the steps. The dog followed them, but they were too interested in each other to notice. They undressed quickly and fell into bed, lying face-to-face, kissing, caressing each other, and grinding their hips together. Scully pushed Mulder onto his back, grinning. She turned to face away from him, and he watched her ass slowly shimmy up his body until she was straddling his face. She then leaned over his torso and grabbed his cock, stroking the base and licking the head before taking his entire length into her mouth.

Good god, what did I ever do to deserve this incredible woman, he thought as he went to work on her, licking her luscious folds, then teasing her opening before entering and tongue-fucking her. The sensation of eating her out as she sucked his cock was intense; he was aware of nothing but the smell of sex and sweat and the sounds of them moaning and pleasuring each other. He felt her massaging his balls, and he had to summon every ounce of control not to explode immediately. When he could tell she was close, he stuck one finger, then two, inside her, curling them into a "come-hither" and pressing up against her G-spot as the tip of his tongue teased her clit.

"Oh my fucking GOD! Mulderrrrrrrr!" She sat up, thrusting into his face as waves of pleasure rocked her body.

She rolled over to the side and collapsed, panting. He took her in his arms, held her, and delicately kissed her face until she'd caught her breath. She brought her lips to his and kissed him deeply, tasting and smelling herself on him. "Get on your back again," she told him, poking his chest.

"Yes ma'am!" He lay down and watched as she straddled and slowly lowered herself onto him, enjoying the exquisite sensation of his cock filling her little by little. She braced herself on his very well-developed body. Goddamn, she thought, he's rock-hard everywhere, and it's so fucking hot; he looks like he belongs on a fitness tape. She leaned over just enough that he could play with her breasts and began moving up and down. He met her thrust for thrust, grunting and groaning with effort and pleasure. Knowing that she was about to climax again, she reached down between her legs to rub her own clit, which she knew drove him mad; Mulder loved watching her play with herself during sex. She arched her back as she came again. He held back until she was done, then with a few hard thrusts and a "Sculleeeeeeeeeeee!" he followed her.

She lowered herself onto his torso, and they gazed into each other's eyes. He stroked her hair. "I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too."

She rolled off him, and he moved to get out of bed to clean himself. As soon as he sat up, he noticed King – sitting right on the side of the bed. The dog gave him a puzzled look, sniffed the air, and moved towards him. "Oh, HELL NO," Mulder yelped. "Shoo! Get out of here!" He pushed the confused animal away from him.

Scully burst into hysterics. "He doesn't know what he's doing; he's just attracted to the strong smell," she managed to get out between fits of laughter.

"I told you, your dog's a voyeur, and an overall pervert - hey! NO! BAD!"

Scully was laughing so hard at the sight of Mulder chasing the dog away, tears were streaming down her face. Mulder couldn't help but see the humor in the situation as well. He herded the dog out of the bedroom and shut the door. "Ignore him and he'll go away, my ass. From now on, there will be a closed door between him and us when we have sex."

"Just think of it as practice for when we have a child in the house," Scully giggled. She got up to follow him into the master bath.

"Oh yeah," Mulder said. He wiggled his eyebrows. "At least we got to fuck in every room of this house before we had dogs and kids."

After cleaning themselves, they got back into bed and spooned, Mulder's hand on Scully's belly. She yawned. "I'm exhausted." It was the pregnancy; she remembered being fatigued during her first trimester with William.

"Take a nap," he said, kissing her neck. "We don't have to be anywhere." He planned to hold her only until she drifted off, but then found himself slipping into a blissful slumber as well.


	11. Chapter 11

**Beginning Notes:** Mini-crossover with Queen of the South, although you don't have to have seen that program to understand the story.

One time, he heard someone say that if you work for cash and pay in cash, you don't need a name. This was especially convenient for him, because he had no fucking idea what his name was anymore. Jackson? William? One of the many aliases he'd gone on the run?

What wasn't convenient were the types of jobs one could realistically procure in this sort of situation, things like couriering money and product for drug dealers.

He'd done that for a while the first time he ran, in the southwest, working for an up-and-coming _narca._ Teresa was different, like him; no, not like him. She wasn't born different; something had happened to her to make her that way. Some kind of bizarre religious experience fueled by a hallucinogenic drug that gave her glimpses of the future.

While he was on the run, he'd hacked the FBI. It had been crazy easy; government cyber security was shit. He'd checked out the personnel files and field reports belonging to his birthmother and her boyfriend/partner. It was some crazy-ass reading. The story Teresa told him reminded them of something they might have investigated.

Because she was _different_ – and because she was hardly in a situation where she could turn him into the cops – she was the only person he had ever been able to talk to about his own abilities. She took him under her wing and gave him work; work that, thankfully, didn't involve killing people. His ability to shift people's perception, as well as take the occasional bullet or knife wound without dying, lent well to couriering money and product. He picked up packages; he delivered packages. Nice and simple.

She treated him like a son, and it ended up being his longest-term "job." He could have risen up the ranks in her growing organization, but instead, she had implored him to get out of the game and go home. "I don't have anyone to go back to. I only have me. You have a family to go back to."

Do I? She claimed he did. She'd had a vision about him, a glimpse of the future he could have if he'd just stop running.

"But you don't understand. I've got these government people chasing me. They'll never stop."

That made her laugh. "Yeah, you're right. No way I'd understand. It's not like there's anyone gunning for me."

He couldn't argue with that one.

He returned to Virginia with the intention of confronting his birthmother and her boyfriend, that Mulder guy, who claimed to be his father. He wasn't sure about his paternity, either, but he sincerely hoped what Mulder had told him was true. He didn't want to be the spawn of that tobacco-sucking lunatic whose head he'd made explode.

But when he arrived, he lost his nerve, and just ended up spying on them for a couple of weeks. They seemed happy, like they were really getting their shit together, and his birthmother was pregnant again, a girl. They didn't need an ex-drug courier alien baby who the shadow government was chasing and who they'd given up 17 years before coming around and ruining everything.

So, he'd tried to run again, but Mulder had caught up with him, and everything went sideways. He'd taken a bullet for Mulder. As he hid in the water, he'd felt his birthmother's grief at thinking they'd lost him. He realized that maybe Teresa had been right. He didn't flee the area this time, but he stayed hidden. He had to make sure it was safe before just showing up at their house, he told himself.

They were getting married. They'd gotten a dog. He liked their rural farmhouse. It reminded him of his childhood home in the West, before his parents moved to Norfolk. He hadn't liked the suburbs.

It had been nearly a week, and he hadn't spotted anyone else coming around. No one appeared to be looking for him anymore, but he still couldn't bring himself to knock on their door. He was a jinx. He'd ruined his adoptive parents' lives because they didn't understand his powers and didn't know what to do with him. Then, they were murdered because of him. He almost made his girlfriends murder each other, too, and he'd hurt an assload of other people through the years as he struggled to understand who and what he was and what he could do. The only person whose life he hadn't wrecked was Teresa's, and that was only because her life was already pretty well fucked when she'd met him. He'd felt confident he couldn't mess that situation up any more than it already was.

His birthmother and Mulder were clearly full of joy. They didn't need him or his problems.

But he was tired, so tired of running and living in roach motels, of working for cash, paying in cash, and having no name. He knew he could go back West and get his old "job" back, but he didn't really want a career in the drug trade. Plus, he'd promised Teresa that he'd go home and try to make it work. He didn't want to let her down. That was an odd feeling for him; he'd never cared about letting anyone down before. Then again, he'd never been able to be open with anyone before. The honesty in their "relationship" had allowed him to let down his walls and experience feelings like loyalty.

It took a drug dealer to bring that out of him. That was seriously fucked up.

There was another problem. He'd noticed that once he'd started getting shot at and using his self-healing powers more often, the process took more out of him each time. He had to work a lot harder now to get the same results that once came easily. The bullet that had entered his head was the worst injury he'd ever sustained, and it had taken what felt like every ounce of his energy to heal it, so much that he'd stopped when all that was left was a small scar on his forehead. It was simply too exhausting to go further.

What the hell was that about?

It was only late afternoon, but he was tired. At least he didn't have to go anywhere. He lay down atop the covers on the bed in his latest roach motel room. The place was filthy, and from the looks of it, he was the only guest who wasn't a prostitute, a drug addict, or both, but they took cash and didn't blink when he gave his name as John Smith.

He missed his nice, clean, room with his snow globes, his books, and his parents who cared for him as best they could, even though they couldn't wrap their heads around what he was.

He was so tired.

 **End notes:** I strongly felt that Jackson needed to be developed and humanized. The characterization of him in S11 was one-dimensional and didn't come close to meeting the expectations that CC had built up. He needed to learn to trust someone, and it seemed logical that this person would (1) be "different" in some way, and thus more accepting of him than "normal" people and (2) not be in any position to rat him out to the government. I gave a lot of thought as to whether I should write this mini-crossover or do this some other way, but I kept coming back to it. It just felt right.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes:** Mini-crossover with Queen of the South, but you don't have to have seen that program to understand this chapter.

 _Mulder opened his eyes and lifted his head off his desk. He was in his office, his old office, the original office, the way it looked before the fire – mostly. It was a bit different, the way things often appear in dreams._

 _Scully sat in front of his desk. The office looked like it did 25 years ago, but she looked as she did now. She blinked at him. "Is that really you?"_

 _The question didn't seem odd to him for some reason. "Yes. What is this, and how am I here?"_

 _Before she could answer, the office door opened. It was Jackson. He, too, looked as he did now. They both stood up but made no move towards him. They weren't paralyzed; something just told them to let him approach._

 _Mulder repeated his question, this time addressing Jackson. "What is this, and how am I here?" He came around to the front of the desk and stood beside Scully._

 _"I don't know," he replied. "I'm not doing this." He motioned toward Scully. "This is your thing."_

 _Scully had been as confused as her fiancé, but suddenly, she understood. "I don't know_ how _you're here, Mulder, but I know I wanted you here, and somehow, I made it happen." She looked at her son. "There's no one chasing you anymore. It's safe. You can come home now."_

 _"No, I can't. You don't understand. I'll ruin everything. I always do."_

 _"You won't ruin anything." She looked up at Mulder and took his hand. "We have to show him that he won't. He doesn't understand everything that happened, everything we've been through. We need to show him. We need to show him all of it, so that he'll understand."_

 _Mulder understood now, too. He motioned to his son. "Come here." Jackson approached and joined hands with them, creating a circle. "I don't know if I can do anything," Mulder told Scully. "I don't have the connection with him that you do."_

 _"Yes, you can, right here, right now, in this place. All you have to do is concentrate and remember," Scully instructed him. "Just remember it all, from the beginning."_

 _So he did, and she did, and they became both observers and participants in their memories, taking their son along on the journey. He didn't just see it all; he felt it all, and his parents felt each other's emotions._

 _They were so young. It was their first meeting, in this office. He was a loner, married to his work, deeply depressed, and haunted by his past. He'd lost his sister. She'd been sent to spy on him, to debunk his work, but she'd refused to compromise her integrity. She would tell the truth as she saw it, not put a bullshit spin on it just to please her superiors._

 _They were both so lonely, he because of his obsessions, she because her intellect tended to put men off. He didn't want to trust her. He'd done his best to scare her away, but she didn't flinch at him, and he felt a tentative connection. She felt it, too._

 _They worked on so many cases together. A liver-eating mutant. The Jersey Devil? A monster in the sewer system. Gender-bending aliens. A protective ghost. A man who could start fires with his mind. More aliens. Shadowy government figures lurking in the mist and obscured by cigarette smoke. Flashlights illuminating dark forests and darker corners._

 _She had been abducted. He went off the rails. He thought she was dead. He didn't care if he died, too. He couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, couldn't think straight. Scully saw it through his eyes for the first time, felt his overwhelming pain, followed by his relief when she returned to him. But now he blamed himself._

 _Back in the car. More flashlights and bizarre cases. Incestuous mutants and reincarnation and towns gone mad and a serial killer who collected paper hearts. A Russian gulag and experiments with black oil._

 _Her sister was murdered; the bullet was supposed to be for her. She'd never forgiven herself for it._

 _They almost died so many times; they saved each other so many times. They lost so many people along the way. They were inseparable. They loved each other but wouldn't admit to it._

 _She nearly died of cancer. He saved her, convinced her doctor to try an experimental treatment. She had a daughter. WHAT? She didn't live long. A church and an empty casket. WHAT?_

 _A child with profound mind-reading abilities. Their office burned down. They lost the X-Files. Their superiors were punishing them. Another woman threatened to come between them. There were happy moments in between. He took her to play baseball. They went undercover as a married couple. "Agent Scully is already in love."_

 _They tried to conceive a child through IVF. WHAT?_

 _He almost died. Scully saved him. He kissed her at the dawn of the new millennium. They finally admitted they loved each other. She discovered she was pregnant. Mulder was abducted before she could tell him. He was tortured; unspeakable things were done to him, and when his body gave out, he was dumped in the dark woods like garbage. He was dead._

 _WHAT?_

 _Scully wanted to die with him. Only the life inside her kept her going – his life, Jackson realized. Their story had become his, too._

 _Three months later, Mulder was exhumed, and his body regenerated, but his psyche was not sound. He had PTSD. He didn't fully understand what had happened. By the time he'd grasped it all, Jackson was born. Mulder couldn't be there. That Monica woman was, though._

 _Jackson's parents were kissing as they held him between them. Mulder wanted desperately to stay with his family, but his life was in danger. He had to run and hide. The government turned its attention to Jackson. They pursued him relentlessly. His birthmother feared for his life. She wasn't certain she could protect him. That's how he'd ended up with the Van De Kamps._

 _The grief she felt at giving up her son was as profound as what she'd experienced when she had believed Mulder was dead._

 _WHAT? WHAT? WHAT?_

 _Jackson's head spun. He wasn't just watching the events. He was experiencing them, feeling them. Part of him wished some of the worst parts had been left to his imagination, but another part of him realized he had to see and feel them to understand._

 _Mulder came out of hiding, only to be arrested and convicted in a kangaroo court. He was to be executed. His birthmother and their friends broke him out. They went on the run, his birthmother giving up her entire life for her life partner. They lived similarly to how Jackson had been living these past few months. They worked in cash, they paid cash, and nobody asked for names._

 _The years passed. They were forgotten, or at least she was. They bought the farmhouse in Virginia. She went back to work as a doctor. He had to stay home. It was like being in a prison, a nice prison, but still a prison._

 _Jackson had imagined they hadn't thought of him at all, but they'd never stopped thinking of him. Their grief and guilt over losing him never left them. It eventually drove them apart._

 _They began working together again. Talk radio hosts, a trash man, hallucinogenic drugs (that sounds familiar), and a lizard man from the dawn of time. Slowly, they found their way back to each other. More Russians, these ones shooting up their house; evil twins playing hangman; one of the friends they'd lost was trapped in some sort of Matrix thing._

 _Finally, they found Jackson, but he ran away from them. They didn't blame him; they knew he was frightened and confused._

 _Two DNA tests. Yes, they were his birthparents, both of them._

 _Jackson was amazed they had any room left in their hearts at all, after all they had endured. He had completely misjudged these people. He'd thought they couldn't possibly handle him or understand what he'd been through. No other people on Earth were better-equipped to do both._

 _Suddenly, they weren't in the office anymore. Something had shifted. They were outside the farmhouse. This wasn't a memory, and they were no longer participating, just observing slightly older versions of themselves. Jackson was throwing a ball for an enormous German shepherd. Mulder and Scully were sitting on the porch stairs. Mulder was helping a toddler stand up, supporting her under her arms. She struggled to get away, and he released her to take her first, unsteady steps. She tumbled, sat down hard in the dirt, and screwed up her face as if to cry, but the dog ran over and licked her, making her squeal with delight. The older Jackson scooped her up, twirling her around and laughing._

 _"This is what you have to go back to."_

 _Mulder and Scully didn't recognize the young Latina with long, flowing, curly hair and an intense gaze, but Jackson did. She wasn't part of the vision; she was an observer, like them. Jackson nodded at her. His return wasn't going to "ruin" anything. It would make a family complete again._

 _Teresa smiled at him and his parents. "Take care of yourself, Jackson." She began to walk away, then turned back and looked directly at Mulder and Scully. "_ Lirio de los valles. _Jackson will tell you what it means, when he sees you." She vanished, and the scene melted away._

Mulder and Scully awoke in their home, in their bed. Like Scully's experience the previous week, their awakenings were sudden but not violent.

"Scully, were you there, too?"

"Yeah." She paused.

"Who was that woman, at the end?"

"I have no idea. I've never seen her before, and I wasn't connected with her. She must be someone Jackson knows." She turned around to face him. "We're going to see him again really soon. He understands now. He knows he's not a burden to us."

Jackson wasn't the only one who'd gained a new understanding of past events. Mulder and Scully hadn't just remembered their story; they'd experienced it through each other's eyes, each feeling what the other had felt every step of the way.

"I'm sorry I wasn't more understanding of what you went through, after your abduction," Scully told him. "I was so wrapped up in what I was dealing with, I didn't stop to think…"

He kissed her and looked into her eyes. "You were pregnant and traumatized. You watched my coffin get lowered into the ground, and you spent three months thinking I was dead. I saw it all, and other things, too." He sighed. "You know, I was kind of a dick those first couple of years you knew me. I'm lucky you didn't tell that self-centered asshole to go fuck himself and walk out."

"You weren't an asshole – all the time," she teased him. "Most of the time, you were a lovable goofball, my lovable goofball, and my best friend. You could have gotten me into bed years before, you know."

" _Now_ she tells me!" He laughed, and they kissed. "You said it yourself in the church. We can't change the mistakes we made in the past. We can only move forward from here. I love you, I love our children, and I feel like the luckiest son of a bitch in the world to have what I've got now. Everything I do from this point forward is for my family."

King whined at their door. It was still closed from earlier. Scully pulled away, stood up, and began to dress. "He probably needs to go to the bathroom, and it's time to feed him and get our own dinner started." She opened the door and hugged the dog as he jumped up on her. "We should leave the porch light on tonight, just in case."


	13. Chapter 13

The early evening was cool but pleasant, more like early spring, and a welcome break from the brutal winter weather they'd had that year. Mulder pulled the grill and chimney starter out of the shed he'd recently had installed and prepped it for lighting. He'd never been much of a cook, but he'd learned some things during the time that he and Scully had lived together previously, and he found he enjoyed grilling.

Scully and King came out to join him. "I've got a pack of chicken thighs ready," Mulder said. "We'll have leftovers, you know, just in case."

Scully nodded and looked down their long driveway, in the direction of their gate. "I haven't heard anything, but I'll make some potatoes and vegetables. My mom's roasted potatoes." She headed back in the house.

Mulder had a feeling that their son would show up that evening, but he wasn't sure if it was just wishful thinking. He lit the coals and went inside to help Scully prep the side dishes.

It was dusk. Mulder took the chicken off the grill and brought it into the house, with a very interested King trailing behind him. Scully looked sullen as she stood by the oven, waiting for the potatoes to finish baking. Mulder placed the chicken out of the dog's reach, put his arm around her shoulders, and kissed the top of her head. "Even if not tonight, then soon. I'm sure of that."

"I know. I just … I was really hoping, that's all."

They were getting ready to sit down to eat when King started barking and ran towards the door. Mulder and Scully followed and peered out a window to see headlights coming up the long driveway, and Mulder put his arm around her shoulders. Scully was shaking, afraid that it wasn't Jackson and simultaneously fearing it _was._ As the vehicle – an older-model pickup with Texas plates – came to a halt, they opened the front door and stood in front of the screen door, unsure what to do next. Would going outside come on too strong? Would staying inside indicate disinterest?

Jackson kept his truck running and sat behind the wheel for a long moment, his heart pounding in his chest. He had no idea what to do, either. Gee, what's the etiquette when showing up at the home of your long-lost birthparents after having had an intense shared dream with them? Pretty sure Miss Manners never covered this kind of shit. He had been nervous on the drive over, and now, he was just terrified. That future vision Teresa showed them be damned, what if everything went to shit? He just stared at Mulder, Scully, and their dog, who seemed to be the only one who knew what he wanted to do; he was whining and barking to go outside and see their guest.

Goddamn, that dog's big, Jackson thought; I hope it's friendly.

Scully looked up at Mulder. "He's as scared as we are. I can feel it. Let's just go outside." She grabbed King's leash from a hook next to the door. "Put this on him so he doesn't jump all over him."

Once Mulder had King leashed up, Scully pushed the screen door open, took a deep breath, and led the way towards Jackson's truck. The young man shut off the engine and the headlights and climbed out. Scully stopped when she was a few feet away from him, not wanting to spook him.

"Uh, hi," Jackson managed. "I, um, locked the gate behind me."

Scully noticed him eyeing the dog. King was jumping and barking, and Mulder was struggling to control him. "He's friendly. He'll just jump all over you. He's still a puppy and doesn't know all his manners yet. Do you like dogs?"

"Yeah. We had one when I was a kid."

"Come here, then," Scully motioned for Jackson to come closer to King, then told the puppy to sit. After a few stern commands from her, King obeyed. Scully squatted down to pat him, then took one of Jackson's hands and put it on the dog's head. "His name is King, and he really likes being scratched behind the ears."

Jackson smiled. "Hey buddy." He patted and scratched King, who wagged his tail and licked Jackson's face. After a few minutes, Mulder felt comfortable letting King off the leash, and the dog promptly jumped up to give Jackson a hug. The young man laughed, and he felt his tension melt away. It was easy to relate to the dog; dogs just accepted him as he was. There was no awkwardness.

"It's getting chilly out here, and we were just sitting down to dinner. Let's go inside and have something to eat," Scully suggested. When Jackson nodded, she asked, "Do you have some bags to take inside?"

"Not a lot. Just my laptop and one more bag. I don't have a lot of stuff."

Jackson grabbed both out of his truck, and Mulder took hold of the duffel bag. "Here, let me help you with that."

Jackson nodded, looked down at the ground, then looked back up at them. "I'm so sorry," he said, his voice cracking. "I'm sorry I ran."

"It's okay," Scully told him. "You're here now."

She put her hand on his shoulder. When Jackson didn't flinch, she put both arms around him, embracing her son for the first time in 16 years.

Jackson knew his birthmother was petite, but he hadn't realized just how tiny she was until she hugged him. She had to pull him down to her. It was the way she carried herself, he thought. She had the demeanor of a much taller person, honed over years of kicking down doors and busting down barriers in a male-dominated field. He'd seen and felt it when she showed him her story.

Her intelligence, abilities, and take-no-shit attitude were what had attracted his birthfather to her. Mulder liked that she challenged him, didn't just nod and go along with everything he said, like the other women he'd dated. Instead of trying to impress him, she'd expected him to impress _her_. Jackson had seen and felt that as well.

It was fucking weird. He knew so much about these people because of their shared dream, but they knew almost nothing about him. They'd done all the "talking." Now, he was sitting at their kitchen table eating chicken and potatoes – his grandmother's roasted potatoes, Scully had made sure to tell him. It was the first square meal he'd had since leaving Texas, and she encouraged him to eat up.

They made small talk as they ate, Mulder talking about the different things he needed to do to the house before the baby came, Scully reminding him that he'd need to get rid of his clutter before doing any of it, Jackson complimenting them on the food. Even though Mulder insisted that King was "her dog," Jackson noticed him slipping the puppy some chicken when Scully wasn't looking. For all they'd been through, they came off as warm, friendly, and _normal._ No one observing this scene would have ever dreamed they had such bizarre family dynamics.

After dinner, Scully and Jackson retired to the living area while Mulder cleaned up and loaded the dishwasher. She showed him a small photo album with some pictures of herself and Mulder when they were younger and a few of Jackson as a baby. "I'm sorry I don't have more," she said. "People didn't have cameras in their phones back then. I have more in the attic, older pictures from my side of the family, and we'll look at those sometime. You had an aunt, and you have two uncles and some cousins."

"And your Uncle Bill hates me," Mulder yelled from the kitchen.

Scully laughed. "I really should send them an email about the wedding and … everything."

"That's going to go over like a house on fire. I'm glad they're in Germany."

"Not anymore. Bill retired, and they bought a house in Florida. They moved in last month."

Mulder groaned. He came into the living room and sat on the couch next to Scully. "Maybe you should wait until after the wedding, then. Come to think of it, maybe you should just wait until the baby is out of high school."

Jackson laughed. "When are you guys getting married?"

Scully beamed. "Two weeks from this Saturday. I'm going to look at dresses this week with Monica. You know who she is; she was there when you were born." She clasped his hand. "I'm so glad you'll be here for it."

"You're both okay with me staying here and everything?"

"Of course we are," Mulder assured him. "You're lucky you arrived now. You've got a few more months of relative peace and quiet before your sister is born. I guess you're having a sister?"

"Looks like it, yeah," Jackson said. "You have room for me and a baby, and yourselves?"

"You'll have to sleep on an air mattress until we get another bed, but we've got more room than it looks like." Mulder motioned to his desk. "I was using the downstairs bedroom as an office, but it's empty now. There are three more bedrooms upstairs, but one's the size of a closet, and the other is for the baby."

"'Empty' being a relative term," Scully noted. "Mulder still needs to get the clutter out of those rooms. Now that you're here, he has to stop stalling."

Mulder rolled his eyes and sighed. "Do what your old man did, and don't get married until you're in your fifties," he told Jackson, which got him an elbow in the ribs from Scully.

Jackson smiled. Even when his birthparents bickered, there was genuine warmth between them. They sat in silence for a few moments. "Um, what should I, uh, call you guys?"

He asked the question gently, but Mulder and Scully didn't take offense. The only parents he'd ever known had been murdered just a few months ago. They weren't looking to take the Van De Kamps' place. "You can call me Dana if you want," Scully told him.

"You can call me whatever you want, as long as it's not Fox," Mulder quickly interjected. "I don't even let Scully call me Fox, and she sleeps in the same bed with me." That got him another elbow in the ribs. "What? He's almost an adult."

Well, why not call him Mulder? Jackson thought. They call each other by their last names. "Do I need to let you call me William? I know that's what you named me."

Scully shook her head. "Not unless you want us to. You've never gone by that name. We've both been undercover; we know it's hard to get used to being called by another name. You never really get completely used to it."

Jackson nodded. "Thank you."

They spent a long time talking about Jackson's childhood. The Van De Kamps hadn't understood what Jackson was and had struggled with that aspect of raising him, but otherwise, his childhood had been happy. They loved him, and he loved them, though there had always been a distance between them that couldn't be bridged because of what he was. He could never be completely honest with them; there was an entire side to him they didn't know about.

Mulder and Scully relayed everything Monica had told them, including the fact that Jackson's regenerative powers were, indeed, limited. Scully had noticed the small scar on her son's forehead and wondered if it was the result of an incomplete regeneration. Even though he knew it meant he'd have to be a lot more careful from now on, Jackson was relieved to hear that he wouldn't just keep regenerating. Immortality wasn't something he desired. He was also tired of being extraordinarily, painfully _different._ At least one of his _differences_ would eventually go away.

Scully tired relatively early in the evening. The pregnancy, she explained. She told Jackson that Mulder would get the air mattress out and set up, and clear out a space for him to sleep. She had a doctor's appointment the next day, but afterward, they could buy him a proper bed and dresser.

She began ascending the stairs, then paused. "That woman we saw in the dream. Who was she?"

The one thing Jackson hadn't talked about was his time on the run. "That was Teresa. She was – I did some work for her when I was in Texas. She could see the future."

Mulder was intrigued. He made a mental note to ask Jackson more about this woman's powers once Scully was asleep. Scully noticed but ignored it; at least he and his son would have something to talk about. "She said something in Spanish and said that you'd tell us what it meant?"

"Oh yeah, _lirio de los valles_." Both Mulder and Scully noticed that the Spanish rolled off his tongue as if he were a native speaker, and they wondered how fluent he was. "It means 'lily of the valley.' It was a story she told me. She said her future self told it to her at a time when she felt hopeless." Now Mulder was _really_ interested, but he let his son go on. "It's a flower that blooms in the darkness. She said that its very existence defies all logic, because what flower can bloom without light? The idea is that beautiful and impossible things can grow out of darkness."

Mulder and Scully exchanged a long, knowing look. Scully finally cleared her throat and said, "That's a lovely story. Thank you, Jackson." She made her way to the bedroom, put her hand on her belly, and looked in the mirror. She hadn't even considered a name for her baby, but now she knew.

 _Lily. Your name will be Lily._


	14. Chapter 14

Scully hadn't been kidding when she'd said that "empty" was a relative term for their spare rooms. It took Mulder and Jackson a good half-hour to shift enough boxes, books, computer and electronics parts, and assorted junk to carve out a place for him to sleep. Mulder was quick to point out that not all of it was his; some of it had been scavenged from Scully's smart house after it exploded.

They talked about Jackson's time in Texas, his relationship with Teresa, and her abilities. It was clear to Mulder that this was the first trusting relationship Jackson had ever had in his life – ironically, with a criminal. It didn't escape Mulder that this was ironic on multiple levels. A drug dealer had taught his son how to trust, and she was responsible for Jackson coming home. Jackson had encountered many allegedly "better" people throughout his young life who had done nothing for him, who hadn't even attempted to understand him.

And what was "better," really? The black-lunged bastard and his shadow government cronies who had conspired with an alien civilization hellbent on destroying the human race? Who had abducted, tortured, and maimed both he and his fiancée? Who had done the same to countless others? Who had murdered countless others? As far as he was concerned, regardless of Teresa's occupation, Mulder owed her an enormous debt he'd likely never be able to repay; Jackson could have fallen in with far less moral people who would have used him for their own purposes instead of convincing him to return to his parents.

As they set up the air mattress and got out bedding materials, Mulder asked, "Have you given any thought to what you'd like to do, as far as school and work?"

Jackson shrugged. "I'm not 100% on that, but I'd like to do something with computers."

Mulder recalled his son breaching the DoD and felt a twinge of sadness; Jackson would have loved the Lone Gunmen. "What grade are you in right now?"

"11th, but I've missed a lot of time now, so I don't know what to do. I want to go back to school, but I don't want to be stuck repeating a year. I get bored as it is. I barely crack a book, and I get all A's, even in the honors and advanced placement classes." Jackson didn't mention that he'd actually thought of quitting school at one point, but being on the run had given him a rude awakening. He had met more than a few people in the drug trade who were stuck there because they weren't educated.

Mulder nodded. "After we get you settled in here, your moth—Scully and I will help you figure all this out. I think I can speak for her and say that neither one of us wants to see you held back or have your choices limited by what happened over the past few months."

He and Mulder stayed up late into the night, talking and watching TV; Jackson had apparently inherited his birthfather's insomniac proclivities. They had other things in common, too, like a shared love for baseball and old _Twilight Zone_ episodes. At the same time, he had his mother's skepticism. Jackson did not believe in things blindly; he needed to see proof. That was how she had known that they needed to show Jackson that they knew what they were walking into with him and could handle it.

He also quickly bonded with King. When Mulder finally retired for the night, the dog decided to stay downstairs with Jackson. As quietly as he could, Mulder crept into the bedroom, shut the door, and stripped down to his boxers.

Scully stirred when he got under the covers. "Mmmmm. What time is it?"

"Late," he whispered, putting an arm around her and kissing her neck. "Just go back to sleep."

"How's Jackson doing?"

"He's all set for the night. King stayed down there with him."

She rolled over to face him. "Do you think he'll stay?"

"Yeah, yeah, I do. He's a smart kid. Headstrong, like his mother, but smart." That got him a raised eyebrow. "I think he knows he's not ready to be out on his own. I let him know we'd figure out how to get him back in school."

"We've got a lot of legal things to figure out if he's staying. I'll text Scott tomorrow. His husband is a lawyer."

"Your doctor appointment is tomorrow, too. I'm taking you."

She smiled and gave him a kiss. "Thank you."

"No, thank you." He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead. "I never thought I would have all of this: a beautiful woman to love, a home, children, even a dog. I never thought _we_ would have all of this."

Scully thought back to the first time they'd ever talked about having children, during that awful case in Home, Pennsylvania. She was in love with Mulder even then, though she hadn't been ready to admit it. Until that day, she'd never pictured him as a father; he'd told her he hadn't pictured her as a mother, either. She'd been surprised when he'd said if he did settle down, it would be in a small, rural town like Home, a house like the one they had right now. At that point, she would have never dreamed they would someday be living in a farmhouse with a son, a dog, and a daughter on the way. She didn't think their chosen lifestyles lent to a family life, but she had come to realize that there were many different kinds of family lives. The Scully-Mulder household was quirky and unusual, but it was theirs.

"I never thought we'd have all this, either, but I'm so glad we do. I love you."

"I love you, too."

They snuggled and drifted into sleep.

The air mattress wasn't the most comfortable bed in the world, but it was far better than the beds in roach motels Jackson had been living out of, and his room was clean. Cluttered, but clean. As if he wanted to ensure that the newest member of the household felt welcome, King parked himself right next to the mattress, his head next to Jackson's.

Jackson was glad to have parents looking out for him again. Although he knew his differences and his experiences precluded a completely traditional lifestyle, he craved some measure of normalcy. He knew his birthparents felt similarly; he'd felt it during their shared dream. He felt safe with them, in this house.

He ended up sleeping better than he had since his adoptive parents had been murdered, maybe better than he had in years.


	15. Chapter 15

They left Jackson at the house the next morning with the WiFi password and permission to make himself at home while they went to see Scully's OB-GYN. At breakfast, Jackson mentioned that he was eager to get back to school, and Mulder and Scully agreed that the sooner they could get him enrolled, the better. He needed structure, some semblance of normalcy, and the opportunity to be around other teenagers.

Mulder tried his best to concentrate on his phone and not look around as he and Scully sat in the doctor's waiting room. She looked quite casual, flipping through a women's magazine, but he felt decidedly uncomfortable sitting there, and not because he was a man. There were other men waiting with their wives and partners, but everyone appeared to be at least 20 years younger. In the past couple of years, primarily due to his ambitious physical fitness program, Mulder had been told by more than one person that he looked quite young for his age, and as he sat in that waiting area, he sincerely hoped those people hadn't just been bullshitting him.

"Dana Scully!"

The nurse who called them back looked young enough to be their granddaughter. Either she didn't notice their ages, or she was adept at hiding it. She was cheerful and made small talk with both of them as she took Scully's weight and blood pressure, showed them back into an examination room, and asked some routine questions about how Scully had been feeling and whether she had certain symptoms. Once everything was checked off, she told them that the doctor would be in shortly and exited, shutting the door.

Scully giggled. "You looked like you wanted to jump into that phone and hide, Mulder."

"Well yeah, everyone was staring at us. We looked like we were in the wrong office, or we were waiting for our daughter to get done."

"Nobody was staring at us. Trust me. Everyone in that waiting room is too focused on their own pregnancy to think about ours."

Mulder had been so happy at the prospect of being a father again – and this time, actually being around for it – that he hadn't given the age factor much thought. This was the first time it had hit him in the face. Conversely, Scully, who had been worried about their ages when she first discovered she was pregnant, had grown more comfortable with the idea and even saw dark humor in it all. She and Mulder had never done anything conventionally; she really should have expected something like this.

They had to wait only a few minutes for Dr. Adams to come in. She was a petite African-American woman who looked to be in her 40s. Her size and demeanor immediately reminded Mulder of Scully. She greeted Scully warmly and gave Mulder a friendly but firm handshake when Scully introduced them. "So nice to meet you, Mr. Mulder, and congratulations to you both on your engagement. When's the big day?"

"Two weeks from Saturday," Scully told her. "I'm going dress shopping this week."

"Wonderful." Dr. Adams flipped through Scully's chart on her tablet. "So, as we discussed last week, this visit is just a general checkup. I also got your labs back, and I must say, your numbers are fantastic. No problems at all. Your blood pressure looks good, too. How have you been feeling? Any morning sickness or fatigue?"

"I'm getting sick, but not as badly as during my first pregnancy. I'm feeling fatigued and emotional more than I do sick. I need to go to sleep earlier, and I'm getting crying spells."

Dr. Adams nodded, made some notations in the chart, then got up to examine Scully. She checked for a fetal heartbeat, then listened to Scully's heart and lungs and nodded. "Everything sounds great." She sat back down. "As I discussed with your fiancée last week, Mr. Mulder, while a natural pregnancy in a woman's 50s is extremely rare, it's not impossible. The hardest part is getting pregnant. Carrying the pregnancy is the 'easy' part, but a lot of older mothers have health issues. What you have in your favor, Dr. Scully, is your health status. You don't have any blood pressure, heart, or cholesterol issues, you don't smoke, and you're not overweight. We'll monitor you more closely than we would a younger mother, but I think your chances of having a healthy pregnancy are excellent."

Scully was relieved; she had been worried about her test results. "Thank you, Doctor. Do you still want me to come for visits every week?"

"No, actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. At this juncture, I feel comfortable seeing you every two weeks until we get to your third trimester. Of course, you can call anytime if there's a problem."

Scully turned to Mulder. "It's usually every four weeks for younger mothers." She looked at the doctor. "How about activity restrictions?"

"Your chart says you're an FBI agent. Is there any way you could get assigned to desk duty?"

Mulder and Scully both laughed. "Actually, right now, I'm technically on medical leave. It's a long story."

"Well, if you do go back, I suggest desk duty, just because it's a high-risk, high-stress position. Normal activities are fine. I also encourage you to exercise, but stay away from heavy lifting and high-impact aerobics."

"What about sexual activity?" Mulder's eyes got wide when Scully asked the question, and then he promptly aimed them at the floor. Scully and Dr. Adams were amused by his discomfort.

"It's okay, Mr. Mulder. I've heard it all before," the doctor assured him. "Sexual activity is fine, so long as there are no high-impact aerobics or heavy lifting involved."

Scully laughed. Mulder desperately wanted to change the subject. "When will she be getting her next sonogram?" he managed to croak.

"She's 9 weeks right now. Unless there's an issue, we'll do it at 19 weeks. I'll be able to tell you the gender then, too."

Mulder got over his discomfort enough to exchange a knowing look with Scully. Not only did they already know they were having a girl, but they had a general idea of what she was going to look like when she got older. It was yet another unconventional aspect of their family.

As they were leaving the doctor's office, Scully's cell phone rang. "Hello? Yes, it is. Yes! Thank you for calling!" She nodded at Mulder and held up a finger to indicate they should wait a moment. "Yes. Oh really? I think so. Where are you located? OK, just let me check with my part – um, my fiancé." She smiled at Mulder and muted the phone. "It's Ben's office; Scott's husband, the attorney. He can meet with us in a half-hour if we can get over there. He's in Alexandria."

Mulder nodded; they were halfway there already. "Tell him we'll be there in 15 minutes."

Scully went back to the phone. "That would be perfect. We're about 15 minutes away. Could you text me the address? Great!" Her phone dinged as they reached their car. "I think this is in your old neighborhood, Mulder."

He looked at the message. "Yeah, I know exactly where that is. I used to run down that street. I probably ran by that building." He opened the passenger door for Scully, waited for her to get settled, then closed it and let himself in the car. "I'm glad he could see us right away. I want to get this legal stuff taken care of so we can get Jackson back in school. He doesn't have anything to do in that house, and if he's anything like me, that's not good for him." He frowned, remembering the darkness he's sunk into.

Scully put her hand on his. "I don't think that kind of isolation is good for anyone, Mulder. Our minds are like our bodies; we have to keep them active to keep them from deteriorating. Maybe Jackson can help you with cleaning up and fixing the house while we're waiting."

Mulder laughed and started the car. "I see what you're doing. You're just trying to get me to get rid of my stuff."

"Who, me?" Scully shot him an innocent look. "I would do no such thing. I'm just looking out for the best interests of our son." He gave her an exaggerated look of hurt and pulled out of the parking lot.

 **Notes:** Sorry it took so long for this update. I did some research on pregnancies among older women, as well as foster care in Virginia, to try to give my fiction some foundation in realism (yeah, I know LOL). I discovered a Columbia study that found older pregnant women do well if they have no other health issues. This is what I based Dr. Adams' comments on.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes:** I'm not an attorney, and this is fiction, so any legal mistakes = creative license!

Driving into Alexandria was a surreal experience for Mulder. He hadn't seen his old neighborhood in nearly 20 years, since he moved out of Hegal Place. The low-rise building that housed the Offices of Gonzalez, Moultrie & Associates was only two streets over, and when they pulled up, he recognized it immediately. "I remember this place. I ran by here all the time. There was a little sandwich shop on the bottom floor. I'd stop there sometimes." He smiled as they entered the lobby and discovered that it was still an independent sandwich shop. Most of them had shuttered or been bought out by chains.

When they arrived at the law offices, a small firm on the third floor, the receptionist immediately showed them into a conference room and offered them refreshments. Scully declined the coffee but accepted a water and two chocolate frosted donuts. Mulder smiled; she usually didn't eat at business meetings, and she certainly didn't eat two donuts in a sitting.

Scully was finishing up her donuts when a tall man in his fifties and a woman who looked to be in her late twenties entered the conference room. The man was large – not fat, but large – with close-cropped, thinning brown hair. Ben hadn't been as lucky with his hair as his husband. The woman was rather tall, but she looked small next to him. They were both dressed and groomed very conservatively, and Mulder recalled Scully telling him that the firm handled wills and estate planning along with family law. He recalled dealing with attorneys like this to handle his parents' estates; they were all this staid. They had to be, considering some of the clients they dealt with.

Ben extended his hand to Mulder and Scully. "Hi, I'm Ben Robin. I'm one of the partners here at Gonzalez, Moultrie & Associates, and this is my associate, Karen Vigh. You're Fox Mulder and Dana Scully?" They exchanged greetings, and Ben and Karen sat down. "Scott explained your situation to me, but I'd like to hear it directly from you. I understand you're dealing with a rather unusual child custody situation and possibly some estate issues?"

Mulder and Scully took their time laying out the story to Ben in a way that would make sense, leaving out what they both knew were the most bizarre aspects, such as shared dreams, that weren't relevant to their case. If he or his associate were shocked or surprised by any of their revelations, they didn't show it. He took notes with pen and paper while she typed on her laptop, both asking the occasional clarifying question.

When they were finished, Ben put his pen down and cracked a smile for the first time since he'd entered the room. "I understand why Scott felt we could help you. Karen and I handle our firm's gay and transgender clients. Unfortunately, even families who appear to be supportive often turn out not to be so supportive once someone dies or a custody issue arises. While your situation isn't the same, the bottom line is that we're used to having to fight like hell to protect our clients against a system that's stacked against them and that, frankly, still sees them as freaks in some cases." He frowned and shook his head. "We can help you. You've got several things going for you. You're both the biological parents of this boy, you've got the DNA tests to prove it, and you're both straight. You're older, but so is your son, and he's a special-needs child. The foster system isn't chomping at the bit to take in older teens with special needs if there are biological family members willing to take custody. You said there weren't any other biological family members?"

"Jackson told me that both sets of grandparents are dead, his father had no brothers or sisters, and his mother had only one sister, his aunt," Mulder explained. "She's a bit younger than us, but she's mentally disabled. Apparently, that's why his parents moved here from Wyoming, to help take care of her when his mother's parents got older. Then, the mother's parents died, and the aunt's care was too much for them. They had to put her into assisted living last year."

"That's a shame for that poor family, but good as far as your case goes. Now, I understand that you're not working, but Dr. Scully is on medical leave?"

Mulder and Scully nodded. "I didn't put in my resignation because I want to remain on the FBI's health insurance for as long as I can. I think they're afraid to fire me because I'm pregnant," Scully explained.

Ben and Karen nodded and laughed. "That was good thinking," Karen said. "You're right. They're afraid to fire a pregnant woman, especially since, from what you explained, Mr. Mulder was, technically, the one who broke all the rules. You were just there. They don't want someone like Doug Miller crawling up their asses with a sexual discrimination suit."

That made Mulder and Scully smile. The staid exterior of these attorneys was relaxing a bit.

"Don't quit. Stay on the medical leave; have your doctor put in writing that your pregnancy is higher risk because you're older, and you can't work a high-risk job during it," Ben advised. "As for you, Mr. Mulder, you didn't get _fired_ from the FBI. You left, which you did, but you didn't throw your badge at them because you were sick of their shit. You handed it back because you wanted to start your own business, spend more time with your family, and work in a less dangerous profession for the sake of your new baby."

This guy is slick, Mulder thought. He looks more conservative than Doug Miller, and he doesn't chase ambulances, but their thought processes probably aren't that much different. This is who we want on our side.

"I know you're getting married in two weeks, because my husband is the officiant," Ben grinned. "That's good, too. A nice, straight, professional married couple who own their own home, have lived there for years, and have lots of money in the bank. Very stable. Plus, because his adoptive parents are deceased, Jackson is entitled to Social Security survivor benefits until he graduates from high school. It won't be a lot of money, but it will help you pay for his needs, and he's owed it. So, does all that sound good to you? Can I get some papers ready and get a retainer from you?"

Mulder and Scully looked at each other and nodded. "Absolutely," Mulder said. "We want to get the ball rolling so we can get Jackson back in school as soon as we can. He wants to go back, and he needs to go back."

"Karen, draw up the paperwork for Mr. Mulder and Dr. Scully," Ben instructed his associate, and she nodded and went to work on her laptop. "That's another thing we can use to get things moving quickly; this boy's education is on hold until we can get you the paperwork to enroll him in school. Now, the first thing we need to do is find out if anyone has put the Van De Kamps' estate into probate. I know no one at our firm has; Karen did a conflict check before we brought you in. We need to determine if they had wills and if they named anyone to take custody of Jackson in the event of their deaths. We'll also find out if they left any additional money or property for Jackson. Once we find out what we're dealing with, we'll probably look to get you a form of custody called kinship care. It's designed especially for biological relatives of children whose parents are deceased or otherwise cannot care for them." He pulled a brochure out of his briefcase and handed it to them. "This would be the fastest way to get Jackson back in school, and we can minimize government involvement in your care of him. I'm sure I don't have to tell you two why you want to minimize government involvement."

Yeah, I like this guy, Mulder thought.

They decided to swing by Mulder's old apartment building before driving home. Other than chains having replaced most mom-and-pop shops, the neighborhood didn't look significantly different. The apartment building's exterior had been repainted, and the sign advertised "luxury apartment living." They parked the car, stood across the street, and looked up at the window where Mulder once placed masking tape in the shape of an "X" to signal his contacts. A cat was lying there, watching birds.

"It felt like I lived there for a long time, and I guess I did, but I've lived in our house longer than I was there, now," Mulder mused. "It was the only apartment I ever had in D.C. I moved back home from the U.K., joined the Bureau, and got that apartment. It suited my needs. A lot of bad things happened in that apartment, though."

Scully took his hand. "A lot of good things happened there, too."

They exchanged a knowing look; it was likely they'd conceived their son there. Mulder looked at her suggestively. "That fucking bee, though. I could have gotten me some a lot earlier if it hadn't cockblocked me."

"Mmmm. What makes you think I'd have given it up that easily?"

Mulder pulled her into a deep kiss. "Because you can't resist my charms." She raised an eyebrow, and he whispered in her ear. "Too bad there's someone living there. We could have broken in and taken a little stroll down memory lane."

Scully laughed, and they kissed again. "We're not footloose and fancy-free anymore, Mulder. We've got a teenage son to get home to. We promised him we'd take him to buy a real bed."

Mulder sighed heavily. "Eh, maybe next time." Scully elbowed him playfully, and they got back in their car.


	17. Chapter 17

"IKEA? Really? You're going to IKEA?" Scully asked, dumbfounded, as she watched Mulder and Jackson put on their jackets. She hadn't felt well on the way back from the attorney's office and had decided to let her boys go furniture shopping on their own.

"Well, yeah. We talked about this. Jackson needs a bed and a dresser. He cleared out his room while we were gone this afternoon."

"He stacked everything against one wall. That's not clearing out."

"It's our stuff; he didn't know what to toss or keep. We'll get to the sorting part later. Your son needs a bed, and there's enough room to put one in there." Mulder gave her one of his puppy-dog looks and nudged Jackson, who caught on and did the same.

Scully sighed. "I know, Mulder, but IKEA?"

"What's wrong with IKEA? We went there after the house got shot up."

"You had to devote an entire weekend to assembling three pieces of furniture. You were using the word 'fuck' like a comma. I recall you saying something about never fucking going back to that fucking store ever again."

"But this time, I know what I'm doing. I've got experience now, and Jackson's here to help me!"

Scully rolled her eyes. Arguing was pointless. "Okay, but you're on your own. You heard what Dr. Adams said. No heavy lifting for me."

He grinned and pulled her into a kiss. "It'll be different this time, I swear! We'll bring home pizza and make an evening out of it!"

Scully shook her head as she watched them depart. It was going to be an interesting evening.

They returned around dinnertime. In addition to a bed, they'd selected a chest of drawers, a computer desk and chair, and a nightstand.

"We'll tackle the bed tonight, so you have a place to sleep," Mulder told Jackson over pizza, "and we'll get the rest of this stuff knocked off tomorrow."

Scully stifled a laugh and attempted to disguise it as a cough. After they were done eating, she sat down on the couch to read a book as Mulder and Jackson started work on the bed. King curled up next to her. At first, everything was apparently going along relatively peacefully; Scully could hear Mulder and Jackson talking and moving things around, but the noise was at an easily ignored background level.

After about two hours, she began to doze but was awakened by loud male voices:

"What the hell?"

"I don't understand it, either."

"I don't get it. Why don't they have any instructions? Why just these stupid pictures?"

"That's the way this store does it."

"But this doesn't make any sense."

"I don't think that's supposed to be slanted."

"There's no way it goes like that."

"But that's what the picture says - FUCK! GODDAMN SON OF A BITCH!"

"Dana! Mulder just smashed his finger with a hammer!"

Scully sighed, put her book down, and reached the kitchen at the same time Mulder did, clutching his right hand and cursing. "Let me see that." His thumb was an angry purplish-red. "That fingernail is going to turn black, but you'll live." She reached into the freezer and grabbed a bag of frozen peas. "Take a break and put this on it. Get some ibuprofen, too."

She went into Jackson's bedroom to find him on the floor, examining the directions, looking from the pictures to the parts and back again, obviously perplexed. He was surrounded by tools, packing materials, and bed parts. The frame appeared to be partially assembled, but it was crooked, and there were an awful lot of parts left over.

"I don't know why everyone likes this store so much," he said. "Rebuilding an engine on a car isn't this hard."

"Goddamn it, it's not winning!" Mulder came back into the room and squatted down to peer at the directions again, the frozen peas still on his hand. "We've come too far for this fucking thing to win!"

"It doesn't look like you've come very far at all, Mulder," Scully pointed out. "You know, they have services now that will come by and do this for you. I read about them online-"

"No, we are not paying a service!" Mulder was adamant. "I figured it out by myself before, and I'll figure it out this time with Jackson's help!"

Jackson looked up at Scully and smiled weakly. Mulder was apparently under the delusion that his special abilities somehow extended to furniture assembly. At least if he were back in school, he could have used homework as an excuse to get out of this.

Scully gave him an empathetic look. She suspected that it wasn't actually about the furniture to Mulder, and his real motivation was to spend time doing "normal" things with his son. Unfortunately, once he got started on a project, he was like a dog with a bone; there was no tearing him away from it. At best, he'd pause once he got tired. "The pregnancy is making me tired again. I'm going to bed. Make sure to let King out to go potty before you come up, Mulder."

"Okay, I'll be up when we're finished with this."

"I don't want you keeping Jackson up all night. He needs to get back on a regular sleep schedule so that he's used to it when we get him back in school."

"It won't be that long. I think we're almost there!" He turned to Jackson. "I think there's something really small and stupid that we're missing, and once we figure out what it is, we'll have this thing together in no time."

Scully rolled her eyes and went upstairs.

"WOO HOO! YES! YES! I GOT YOU, YOU MOTHERFUCKER! HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF WOOF!

Scully shot upright in bed, at first terrified that they were under attack again, then realizing that the screaming and shouting was joyful. She squinted at the clock – 12:21 a.m. – then slipped her robe on and padded downstairs. Mulder was jumping and dancing around the living room, maniacally laughing and fist-pumping as if they'd just won the lottery. King didn't understand what all the excitement was about, but he was taking a cue from his master, barking, play-bowing, and tossing around his toys. Jackson stood in the kitchen with a glass of water, laughing and shaking his head at the whole scene. His birthparents were great people, but they were weird.

"SCULLEEEEEEE! WE DID IT! Come look come look come look!" Mulder ran over to her, grabbed her hand, and pulled her toward Jackson's room like a kid pulling his parents out of bed on Christmas morning. "Behold!" He bowed in the doorway and gestured into the room.

Some of the parts had clearly been scratched and dented in the process, but the bed was, indeed, fully assembled and ready to be made. She pressed down on the mattress to test the bed's stability.

"It's totally solid! Look!" Mulder flopped down onto the mattress and, to Scully's relief, nothing collapsed or threatened to. "HAHAHAHA! I told you we didn't need to hire a service!"

She nearly pointed out that it had cost them over five hours and a smashed thumb, but Mulder looked so giddy and proud of himself. She didn't have the heart to rain on his parade. "Looks great, Mulder. Good job. You too, Jackson." She smiled at her son as he came into his room.

"Tomorrow, we'll put everything else together. Now that we've got the bed done, this other stuff will be easy!"

Jackson forced a smile. That bed had been a colossal pain in the ass, and from what he'd read online, the chest of drawers was going to be harder, not easier. Plus, they needed to move all the stuff stacked against the wall before they could put more furniture in the room. He never dreamed he would wish he could go to school instead of stay home. He looked over at Scully, and she gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. He sighed, understanding that his birthfather needed this. Mulder was clearly pained over all of the milestones he'd missed in Jackson's life and trying to make up for lost time as best he could.

Scully stood on the porch, waiting for King to go to the bathroom. Mulder came outside and wrapped his arms around her from behind. "You and Jackson seem to have really hit it off," she said, snuggling into him.

"He's such a great kid. The Van De Kamps loved him a lot. They just didn't understand what they were dealing with. He's relaxed around us because he doesn't feel like he needs to hide who he is all the time." He kissed the top of her head. "I still miss all the time we lost with him, but we have him now, and we got him at a critical time. He'll be 17 soon. He's figuring out what kind of man he wants to be, and he could have gone either way. We can push him in the right direction."

She turned around and looked up at him. "I love seeing you so happy. You were so sad for such a long time." She paused. "So was I."

"I love seeing you happy, too." He pulled her into a kiss, and she parted her lips, her tongue seeking out his as she stroked the back of his neck with her fingers, then moved her hands down his arms. He broke the kiss and saw that her eyes were dark with desire. "We need to take this upstairs," he whispered, motioning towards the house. She nodded, and he broke away from her and whistled for King. "Come on, boy! Let's wrap it up!" The dog came running back; Mulder opened the door for him and gave him a treat to reinforce that he was a good boy for going potty outside. Jackson's door was ajar, his light still on, and King went into his room.

"Mulder and I are headed upstairs now," Scully called out in the most even voice she could manage. "Good night, Jackson!"

"Good night."

They grinned at each other and hurried upstairs, quickly closing the door behind them and giggling like a couple of horny teenagers conniving to get it on while their parents sleep down the hall. Scully let her robe fall to the floor, revealing that she was clad in one of Mulder's tee-shirts. He pulled her to him and groaned his approval when he reached underneath and discovered the shirt was all she had on. He cupped her ass, then locked lips with her and lifted her up off the floor. She wrapped her legs around him and kissed him feverishly as she ground her wet center into his abdomen.

He carried her over to the bed and deposited her down. She lifted her arms up so he could pull the shirt up over her head. She sat naked on their bed, looking up at him expectantly, panting, her hair mussed and her face flush, the slight but distinct swelling around her midsection reminding him that she was carrying his child, the one they made together. He felt a surge of love that fueled his desire further; his erection strained almost painfully against his jeans.

He took off his shirt and moved to unzip his jeans, but Scully beat him to it. Grinning wickedly, she shoved his jeans and boxer briefs down to his ankles, then licked his cock from the tip to the base and back again before taking him into her mouth. His knees nearly buckled. "Oh god, Scully." She sucked him eagerly, her tongue caressing the delicate underside of his shaft with every up and down movement, one hand fondling his balls while the other gripped his ass. He ran his fingers through her hair and closed his eyes, throwing his head back in a silent scream. He desperately wanted to watch, but he knew the sight of his cock moving in and out of her mouth would make him blow his load immediately, and he didn't want to come just yet. Eventually, he reached the brink and pulled back from her; they'd been together long enough that she knew why.

"Your turn," he hissed. He kicked his pants away, kneeled in front of her, and parted her legs. He breathed in the intoxicating scent of her arousal as he teased her, kissing and gently nipping at the inside of her thighs and palming her hips before finally taking a taste. She was completely aroused and dripping wet, with her clitoris fully engorged and peeking out from underneath its hood. Mulder gently probed it with his tongue, and she shoved her fist into her mouth to muffle a squeal. He used her own juices to lubricate his thumb so he could play with her clit while he lapped her folds, then tongue-fucked her. She was mewling his name, grinding against his face; she was close. Finally, he put two fingers inside her and curled them into a "come-hither" to hit her special spot while his tongue flicked her clit. She shoved one fist into her mouth to stifle a scream, clutching the bedcovers with her other hand and bucking wildly against him as the waves of her orgasm washed over her.

He joined her on the bed, holding and kissing her as she caught her breath. She reached down to stroke him; he was still rock-hard. Tasting herself on him never failed to refuel her desire for him. She wanted him to fill her, and she wanted him to do so immediately. She positioned herself on all fours and looked back at him, wiggling her ass seductively. "Hey, you don't have to ask me twice," he chuckled, kneeling behind her. She gasped as he pushed himself inside. She'd never gotten so much pleasure out of intercourse alone with any man other than Mulder. She grabbed onto the headboard so that she could push back against his thrusts, and he reached around to play with her tits. Scully had been gifted with highly sensitive breasts, and they'd become even more sensitive because of the pregnancy. She moaned softly as pleasure shot from her nipples straight down to her clit.

She was going to come again; she could feel it, and he could tell from the way she was gasping and thrusting against him. He heard her calling his name and felt her pulsating around his cock; he followed moments later, emptying into her.

They collapsed onto the bed together, completely spent. Once he caught his breath, Mulder went into the bathroom – happier than ever that it was attached to their room – and brought back wet washcloths so they could clean themselves. He got under the covers as Scully got up to use the toilet and took her in his arms when she crawled back in bed with him.

"I love you," he said, spooning her, nuzzling her neck, and putting his hand on her belly.

"I love you, too." She relaxed against him and looked out the window. It was a lovely, clear night. "It just occurred to me that this was the first time we had to worry about someone else being in the house. No one else has ever lived here with us."

He kissed the back of her head. "I like having this problem. It's a good problem. It's a problem I never thought we'd have."

They both drifted into a deep, contented sleep.


	18. Chapter 18

**Notes:** Sorry it took so long for this latest update; I've been dealing with writers' block. But y'all are getting a double update, and 19 is the wedding chapter. I wanted to take the time and make sure it was done right. =)

Mulder, Scully, and Jackson were sorting through the boxes in Jackson's room, deciding which items to keep, toss, or donate. Scully's first inclination had been to take everything they hadn't looked at or missed since moving in to the house and haul it to the dump, but when she happened upon a box of maternity clothes her mother had saved from her apartment after she and Mulder had gone on a run, she was grateful Mulder had convinced her to at least look through everything. Some of them were wildly out of style, but she wasn't going back to work until after she had her baby. Her fiancé and son would be the only ones looking at her, and they didn't care.

Ben Robin had been right that her high-risk pregnancy would shield her from being disciplined by the FBI. They'd been tripping over themselves to ensure that she didn't feel she was being pushed out the door, assuring her that she'd still have a desk once her maternity leave was over, even offering to let her teach at Quantico in lieu of field work. More shocking, they were willing to let Mulder return and teach at Quantico. He was considering it, but only as a part-time measure at best. He was far more interested in opening his own consultancy, and the more they talked about it, the more it piqued Scully's interest. She and Mulder were good together as work partners; she could see them running a successful business, something their children could ultimately take over if they were so inclined.

She had just opened a box that appeared to contain photo albums and other personal items she'd forgotten about when her cell phone rang. She looked at the screen and stepped out into the living room to answer it. After a few moments, she stuck her head back in Jackson's room.

"Mulder, can you help me upstairs for a minute? Bring that box I just opened with you."

"Sure." He saw the phone in her hand and had an idea of what was going on, but he grabbed the box and smiled confidently at Jackson. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

When they got to the bedroom, Scully shut the door behind them. "I wanted that upstairs anyway, but it's Karen Vigh, calling to update us."

Mulder nodded. They had agreed to shield Jackson from the legalities of him living with them as much as possible. He'd dealt with enough adult-level issues; they wanted him to feel that he could just be a teenager.

Scully took the phone off mute and put it on speaker. "Okay, Karen, Mulder and I are both here."

"Great," Karen said cheerfully. "First, I want you both to take a breath. I can tell you're nervous. The situation we have here is … unusual, but it's not bad. It's quite positive, actually. The Van De Kamps did have wills, and they're both being probated. They left their entire estate to Jackson. They weren't rich people, but he stands to inherit a significant sum of money from the sale of the house, and they had a college fund set aside for him."

"What's the 'unusual' part?" Mulder asked.

"They named you and Dr. Scully in their wills to take guardianship of Jackson in the event both of them died."

"WHAT?" Scully was incredulous; she and Mulder exchanged stunned looks. "But it was a closed adoption. They didn't even know who we were."

"Not at first, but they hired a private investigator about a year and a half ago. I don't know if they ever intended to share the information with Jackson, but their will specifically instructs that guardianship of Jackson go to his birthparents, Dana Scully and Fox Mulder because, and I quote, 'we feel they are the only people who could truly understand Jackson's needs.'"

Mulder and Scully just stared at each other. It made sense, really, Scully thought. The Cigarette Smoking Bastard and Erica Price were able to locate Jackson; a PI would have been able to figure out the connection in the other direction. Dear God, I hope the trail the PI left isn't _how_ they found him. "How come we didn't hear about this until now?" she asked. "Shouldn't someone have sent us a letter or something?"

"This estate is a mess. First, the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Then, the will wasn't filed until recently. Their named executor was dead, so the court had to appoint someone. Then, Jackson was missing for some time. Now that the process is started, things are on the right track. This is going to be much easier than we anticipated. The court almost always abides by the parents' wishes regarding guardianship, so long as the named guardians are willing and fit to raise the child. As we discussed in the office, there's no problem there. You're just going to need to appear in court to accept guardianship. We can get everything signed, stamped, and delivered next week."

"Oh my god." Scully fought back tears. By the time they got married, they'd be Jackson's legal guardians.

"One more thing. I'm having the estate attorney overnight me Jackson's birth certificate and other vital documents so that you can get him back in school. I remember you and Mulder mentioning how important that was, and I agree with you. This kid needs structure right now."

Scully began sobbing and had to hand the phone to Mulder. "Thank you so much, Karen, and thank Ben, too," he told the young attorney.

"No problem. I love seeing outcomes like this. I'll call you when I get the docs tomorrow. And if the school gives you any shit, let Ben and I know, and we'll take care of it. You don't need guardianship to enroll him in school, just his vital documents."

Mulder ended the call and took Scully into his arms. He remembered the last time he'd held her as she'd cried, that night on the docks, when they thought they'd never see their son again. Now, Jackson was home, he wanted to stay home, and best of all, he could live there openly. He could attend school, do normal teenage things, and be part of a family again. He wouldn't have to spend his life living in the shadows. It wouldn't make up for the grief and pain Jackson had experienced, living with parents who loved him but didn't understand his abilities, then watching them be murdered, then spending several months on the run himself. It also wouldn't make up for all of the years Mulder and Scully had lost with him and the suffering that loss had inflicted on their lives. But it was more than Mulder ever dreamed they would have, ever dreamed _he_ would have.

The psychologist in him was certain they would encounter obstacles and issues because of the psychological trauma all of them had endured, but they'd deal with them together, as a family.


	19. Chapter 19

**April 14, 2018**

After a brutally cold winter that stretched into the beginning of April, their wedding day dawned clear and unseasonably warm, perfect for an outdoor ceremony. Looking out the window that morning, Scully had told him she felt it was a wedding gift from all the family and friends they'd lost over the years.

The friends who were still with them were giving them gifts, too. Scully had insisted that none of their guests bring presents. Not only did they have everything they needed, she'd told them, but they were trying to get rid of things to make room for the baby. Jackson's room was finally cleaned out and set up, and the baby's room was next.

That didn't stop Scott from conspiring with Skinner and Monica while they were still in the hospital, who then got Arlene and John involved, to give Mulder and Scully the wedding all of them felt they deserved. It was still a small and simple affair at their home, but their friends insisted that they not do anything except show up and enjoy their day. John insisted that he would man the grill and make his "famous" family recipe for Southern BBQ ribs; he and Monica, their daughter Luciana in tow, arrived that morning, hours before everyone else, so he could start cooking them. Monica, Skinner, and Arlene had coordinated the side dishes, cake, and drinks, Scott was handling flowers and decorations, and Ben had arranged for the delivery of outdoor tables, chairs, and a canopy. Karen, a photographer by hobby, had offered her talents to document the day.

Skinner was back on his feet, though walking with a cane, and he had offered to let Jackson come to his apartment after the ceremony and stay through Monday – conveniently, a holiday in D.C. Mulder had chuckled when Jackson jumped at the opportunity, even though he barely knew Skinner. The boy was 17 and well aware that his parents had sex, but like other teenagers, he preferred to pretend they weren't doing it while he was downstairs. I wouldn't want to be in the house on my parents' wedding night either, Mulder thought. Plus, with the baby coming, it would likely be the last weekend they'd have alone together for a while.

The only guests who didn't have "jobs" were Bill and Tara Scully. Scully had been elated when Tara had emailed her and said they'd come up from Jacksonville to attend the wedding. Mulder cringed but pasted a smile on his face. He hadn't seen Bill since Maggie Scully's funeral. He wondered how Bill would react, not only to Scully being pregnant again at 54 but also the reemergence of their long-lost son, with a new name, no less. Scully had explained the situation to Tara through email, but he wondered how much of it Bill had absorbed.

The guardianship process had gone as smoothly as Karen had promised, and Jackson was back in school. If he passed all his final exams, he could enter 12th grade in the fall without the need for summer school and graduate on time next year. Jackson was an exceptional student, and Scully made sure he was studying and turning in his assignments. The Van De Kamps had left him a sizeable college fund, and she had made it clear that not attending college was not an option for her son, not with two highly educated parents. She had taken to the role of mother like a duck to water, and while Jackson accused her of nagging and hovering, Mulder could tell that deep down, he was grateful for the discipline and structure.

Jackson was playing with the dog while Lucy tagged behind him, much to his annoyance and Scully and Monica's amusement. The young girl clearly had a crush on Jackson, which intensified when she discovered that his Spanish was quite good. She was a beautiful girl, the spitting image of her mother, but at 12, she was still a child. He was relieved when the rest of their guests began to arrive, the women all headed upstairs to help Scully get ready, and Monica called her inside with them.

Scully had cloistered herself in their room after breakfast and shooed Mulder away, insisting that he not see her again until the ceremony. She'd hidden her dress inside a zippered bag at the back of the closet; he had no idea what she'd chosen. He'd simply selected one of his suits, and "getting ready" would just mean putting it on 10 minutes prior.

As if reading his mind, John remarked, "The groom's part is a lot simpler, isn't it?" as he checked on the ribs.

Mulder shook his head. "I have no idea what they could possibly be doing up there that takes all of them. How long could it possibly take to put on a dress?"

"It's not just the dress, Mulder. It's the whole experience. Monica was like this, too, and our wedding wasn't that much more elaborate than yours."

Mulder surveyed the activities going on in their yard. The canopy, tables, and chairs had been delivered, along with wedding arches. Ben and Jackson were setting up the tables and chairs as Scott decorated the arches with flowers. Skinner sat on the porch, patting the dog. "She fought her friend about doing all this stuff at first, but I'm glad he convinced her. She's happy, she deserves this, and it is nice. Thank you for doing the cooking. Ribs are a lot of work. I haven't attempted them yet."

John clapped Mulder on the shoulder. "No problem at all. I'm happy to have an excuse to make them, and I'm happy to be home. It was really hard being away from Monica for so long. Lucy is old enough to understand now, but she wasn't at first. I'm glad things came together for all of us." He motioned to all the land Mulder and Scully owned. "I love your place. Monica and I just started house-hunting. We're looking for a place like this, with lots of privacy and room."

"If you can deal with the drive into the city, it's a great place to raise a family," Mulder said.

"Monica's going back to the FBI, but I'm done with field work. Hey, she was telling me that you and Scully are going to open your own agency?"

"Yeah. I might teach a class or two at Quantico to keep a toe in the pond, but I'm through with field work, too, and I want flexibility. So does she. We missed out on Jackson's childhood. We don't want to miss out on the baby's."

"I hear you. Let me know what you're doing with that. I might be interested in helping out."

"Sure, John."

Mulder saw an unfamiliar car making its way up the drive. Everyone else had arrived, so this had to be Bill and Tara and their kids. It figured they had to come when Scully was still upstairs. Mulder sighed, forced a smile, and made his way towards them, calling King to heel when the dog bounded off the porch to investigate the new arrivals. They'd made great progress over the past couple of weeks in training King not to jump up on people, for which Mulder was grateful. His brother and sister-in-law-to-be weren't dressed formally – Scully had told everyone to dress down – but they probably wouldn't appreciate getting mud all over their clothes. Matthew and his younger sister, Mary, looked like typical college students, in jeans and gear from the University of Florida, where he was in his third year and she her first.

"Hey Uncle Fox! Cool dog!" Matthew patted King, then greeted Mulder with an enthusiastic hug. He'd inherited his mother's warm openness, and, unlike his father, he'd always gotten along well with Mulder.

"Great to see you again, Matt. How do you like Florida?"

"It's cool. It's a lot different than San Diego, but it's great. I love U of F." He looked over at the canopy area. "Is that Jackson?"

"Yeah. Hey, Jackson! Come over here and meet your aunt, uncle, and cousins!" As Jackson headed over, Mulder turned to Bill, Tara, and their daughter. "Tara, Bill, Mary. It's great you could come. It means a lot to Scu—Dana."

He saw a bit of irritation on Bill's face, but not as much as he would have expected. Mary looked up from her cell phone long enough to say, "Hey, Uncle Fox."

Tara emerged from the car holding a small box, motioned to her daughter to put her cell phone away, and greeted Mulder with a hug. "We wouldn't have missed it for the world. I want to go help Dana get ready, but first, I want to meet my nephew."

Jackson approached cautiously. He knew his Uncle Bill didn't care much for Mulder and was unsure how to act around these people. Tara seemed to sense his unease and greeted him with a huge smile. "Oh my god, look at you! You look so much like your father did, back when he first met your mom. Doesn't he, Bill?"

Bill's stoic exterior began to crack now that he was face-to-face with the nephew he thought the family had lost. He came around the other side of the car. "Yes, he does, and I see Dana in him, too."

"Jackson, this is your Aunt Tara and Uncle Bill," Mulder explained, "and these are your cousins, Matt and Mary."

Jackson received hugs from the entire Scully family, including the rather standoffish Mary. As much as Matthew had taken after his mother, Mary was her father's daughter through and through. After a few niceties were exchanged, Mary told Matthew to go help Jackson set up the tables and chairs and took Mary with her to join the other women in the house, leaving Mulder alone with Bill.

Great.

The two men looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, and then Mulder asked, "Would you like a drink, Bill? We've got soda, water, iced tea, and beer."

"Thanks. I wouldn't mind a beer." They headed over to the cooler, which was in the grill area. Mulder got Bill a beer and grabbed a Wawa iced tea for himself; he didn't want to drink until after the ceremony. Bill pointed at the grill. "Something smells really good."

"The Doggett Family recipe for Southern BBQ ribs, handed down through the generations, my man," John said, extending his hand. "John Doggett."

"Bill Scully." They shook.

"Oh, the Navy man? Dana told me about you. I spent six years in the Marine Corps."

As the two men launched into a discussion of their lives and times in the military, Mulder stepped away and joined Skinner on the porch. "That's the brother-in-law who doesn't like you, isn't it?"

Mulder sipped his iced tea. "Yep."

"Looks like he's hit it off with Doggett."

"Yep. Maybe Doggett can trade war stories with him all afternoon."

Skinner laughed. "At least they came. That's progress."

"That's what Scully says." He looked at Skinner. "So what's going on with you and Arlene? You came in the same car."

Skinner shrugged. "What do the kids say on Facebook? 'It's complicated.' You know how it is."

"Yeah, I do." Mulder still couldn't quite believe it was his wedding day. Part of him expected to be pulled out of a cave full of carnivorous fungi and learn that all of it had been a hallucinogenic-fueled mirage. He looked at his watch; it wouldn't be long now. "I guess I should go get dressed," he told Skinner, and headed into the house.

"I can't get over how beautiful this dress looks on you, Dana. I loved it when you sent me the link, but you wear it so much better than the model!" Tara and the other women and girls admired Scully as she twirled around in the mirror, ensuring that everything looked perfect and posing for Karen's camera.

Because she wasn't certain what her sizing would be like at this stage of her pregnancy – her breasts and hips were filling out much faster than her belly – she'd chosen a maternity gown. It didn't "look" like a maternity gown, which was one of the things that had attracted her to it. The short, white, sleeveless dress was elegant in its simplicity, with no lace or beading, and the style evoked ancient Greece. The top, a wide-strapped tank, gathered together at a high waist and was accented with a satin ivory sash that tied at the back. It was cut just low enough to flatter Scully's cleavage without being too revealing. The skirt flowed gracefully around her hips and down her body, ending just below her knee.

She paired the outfit with ivory satin shoes, her crucifix necklace ("something old") and, to play off the ancient Greece theme, a bold pair of earrings and matching bracelet: gold snakes with stunning sapphire eyes ("something new" and "something blue"). The bracelet coiled around her wrist and forearm three times, and the snake had a large sapphire on its head to match its eyes. Scully had been letting her hair grow for the past three weeks, and there was enough for her to pull it back and hold it in place with a gold-plated leaf headpiece on loan from Arlene ("something borrowed") that topped off the ancient Grecian motif.

Although Scott was decorating the porch and wedding arches with real flowers, Scully had opted for a silk bouquet of purple and white calla lilies tied together with a simple bow. She hadn't told anyone about her household's shared dream; the lilies would be a private joke between her, her boys and, once she was old enough to understand, her daughter. Instead of tossing the bouquet, she was saving it as a keepsake for Lily.

"It's almost time, Dana. Are you nervous?" Monica asked.

Scully looked in the mirror and took a deep breath. This was really happening. She'd often thought that she and Mulder would never get married, or that if they did, it would be a quick courthouse wedding. She was glad that Scott had talked her into letting her friends help her put this day together. She couldn't believe she and Mulder still had so many friends. Sometimes, her thoughts turned so sharply to the people they'd lost that she forgot about what they still had.

"Dana, before you get started, I have something to give you," Tara said, reaching for a small box Scully hadn't noticed her bring into the room. "I know you said 'no presents,' but I saw this online, and I couldn't resist. It's just perfect."

Scully opened the box and couldn't quite contain her surprise and joy. It was a cake topper with a little fox bride and groom. The male fox was sporting a bowtie, his vixen wore white flowers on her head, and he was kissing her sweetly on the cheek. They were adorable. The wedding cake was a simple white sheet cake from Costco, and Scully hadn't even thought about putting a topper on it. "Thank you so much, Tara, and thank you for coming. Charlie dropped off the grid again, so you, Bill, and the kids are the only extended family I have left. I want Jackson and the baby to have you in their lives."

"Listen, Dana," Tara took both of her hands. "I know Bill hasn't always gotten along with Mulder, but since Maggie died, he's been reflecting on the same thing, and he really does feel bad about how he alienated both of you over the years. He was sincerely happy when I told him about Jackson, the baby, and the wedding. He wants to make amends, but you know how he is. He doesn't know where to start."

"I do. Take this topper downstairs and give it to my friend, Scott. He's the one doing all the decorations and laying everything out. Then send Bill up and tell him I want him to walk me down the aisle – well, it's not really an aisle, but he can walk me out of the house and over to our little altar." They laughed.

"I think he'll love that." The two women hugged, and Dana struggled to hold back tears so that she wouldn't smear her makeup. "Come on, Mary, let's go get Daddy."

Scott took his place in front of the arches, index cards in hand, and Mulder and Skinner in front of him. A disposable runner extended from the bottom of the porch steps down to the ceremony area. Monica and Arlene waited at the bottom of the steps. Jackson and Matthew were manning Mulder's nearby SUV and keeping an eye on King, who someone had decked out in a bow tie. At a signal from Arlene, they turned the Wedding March on the stereo and upped the volume.

Scully emerged from the house, arm-in-arm with Bill. He was stoic as ever but clearly had been crying recently; Mulder had seen his reaction when Tara told him that Scully wanted him to take their father's place in the ceremony. Monica and Arlene followed behind them, smiling broadly, and Karen snapped photos as the small wedding party slowly made their way towards the ceremony area.

The sight of his bride took Mulder's breath away. She looked like a Greek goddess, her dress flowing gracefully as she walked, her gold headband and jewelry catching the few rays of sunlight peeking through the clouds. Why the most beautiful woman in the world had agreed to marry him, he'd never understand.

"You are one lucky son of a bitch, Mulder," Skinner whispered.

When they reached the "altar," Bill gave her a hug and kiss and, to Mulder's astonishment, shook his hand before taking a seat next to Tara. Monica stayed standing next to Scully, and Arlene stepped back so she could record the ceremony on her phone. Scully stood before Mulder and looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with love and joy. Mulder hoped that she saw even half as much in his.

Jackson turned the music off, and Scott smiled at the guests. "Thanks for coming, everyone. It is my pleasure to be here today as we gather to celebrate the relationship of Dana Katherine Scully and Fox William Mulder and to witness their joining in marriage.

"Marriage gives permanence and structure to a couple's love. Through marriage, we tell the person we love that we're not going anywhere. That's a powerful commitment for two people to make, and a solid marriage is built on the foundation of this commitment.

"The road that brought Dana and Fox here today was a long one, fraught with challenges that would have shattered a weaker relationship. But together, they faced each one head-on, and their experiences have strengthened, not weakened, their love and commitment to each other.

"On the subject of commitment, Dana has asked me to share this short reading from the Book of Ruth: 'Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.'"

There were low murmurs among the guests about just how appropriate that particular Biblical passage was. Everyone who knew Mulder and Scully also knew they'd followed each other to Hell and back, more than once.

Scott continued, "Dana and Fox have written their own vows. The vows that you are about to make are a way to share your love and commitment to each other in your own words. These vows are your way of openly declaring your promise to each other, as well as to all of your friends and family who are here today."

He nodded at Scully, who cleared her throat and began to speak. "Fox. Over 25 years ago, I walked into your office and introduced myself as your new partner. Your response was to ask me if I believed in the existence of extraterrestrials." She and Mulder chuckled at the memory, and Scott and their guests laughed. "I had no idea of the adventure that awaited me, of how profoundly my life was about to be altered. I had no idea that I had just met the man who would become my trusted partner, my best friend, and the love of my life. Once I fell in love with you, I fell hard, and it was forever. I promise that I will be the best wife and life partner I can possibly be, and that I will love and cherish you, not only for the rest of this life but also in the next one."

Mulder had to close his eyes and compose himself before he could speak his vows. He and Scully had shared what they had written, but it was one thing to read the words on a piece of paper and another to hear her say them out loud, in front of everyone they knew, no less. "Dana, I think I fell in love with you about two minutes after meeting you, but it took me six years just to work up the nerve to kiss you. Then, a bee had to sting you and ruin it. I still hate bees." They and their guests laughed. "You are my touchstone, my constant, my one in five billion. You're the best friend I've ever had and the only woman I will ever love. I promise that I will be the best husband and life partner I can possibly be, and that I will love, protect, and cherish you forever, in this life and in any other that come after this."

Scott asked Skinner and Monica for the rings, then handed them to Mulder and Scully. They were simple gold bands with the words, "My Touchstone, My Constant" and their wedding date engraved inside. "Dana and Fox will now exchange rings to symbolize their commitment. The wearing of the rings is a visible, outward sign that they have committed themselves to each other. Fox, please take Dana's hand and repeat these words: 'I give you this ring as a symbol of our love.'"

"I give you this ring as a symbol of our love." Scully's hand shook as Mulder slipped the ring on her finger.

"Dana, please take Mulder's hand and repeat these words: 'I give you this ring as a symbol of our love.'"

"I give you this ring as a symbol of our love." She slipped his ring on his equally shaky hand.

"Dana and Fox, you have professed your love by exchanging your vows. You have symbolized your commitment by exchanging rings. There is just one more question I need each of you to answer before we can all go try those ribs that John spent half the day cooking up for us." Everyone laughed. "Dana Katherine Scully, do you take this man, Fox William Mulder, to be your husband, to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Fox William Mulder, do you take this woman, Dana Katherine Scully to be your wife; to live together in the covenant of marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health, and, forsaking all others, be faithful to her as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"By the power vested in me by the Unitarian Church and the State of Virginia, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss."

Mulder pulled his wife into their first kiss as a married couple, then hugged her tightly as their family and friends clapped and cheered.

 **Notes:** Following are some of my inspirations for this chapter.

Scully's dress can be purchased at: us/maternity/clothing/ANAIS/Anastasia-Maternity-Wedding-Dress-Short-(Ivory).html

The fox wedding cake topper can be purchased at listing/550270308/fox-wedding-cake-topper-realistic

The calla lily bouquet can be purchased at: collections/silk-wedding-flowers-silk-wedding-bouquets/products/small-real-touch-hand-tied-calla-lily-wedding-bouquet-in-white-and-purple-14-tall-sb113

The snake earrings and bracelet weren't an actual set I saw for purchase. The earrings would have looked something like this: products/vanessa-heaney-gold-snake-sapphire-earrings

And the bracelet would have been similar to this, only the snake's body wouldn't have been bejeweled: .

There is a wide variety of leaf headbands for Grecian style wedding gowns. Here's one example: /product/leaf-headband-grecian-brassy-gold-metal-leaf-and-flower-headband-gold-wedding-headpiece-metal-headband-for-adults-metal-hair-accessory/


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes:** I'm sorry this update took so long. I think I need to do a time-jump with this story after this chapter to move things along.

Their DIY wedding reception was filled with good food, good friends, and much fun and laughter. John's ribs were received as well as he'd promised they would be. Karen and Arlene made the rounds, snapping photos and taking videos, with Arlene asking everyone to share their well-wishes, memories, and humorous anecdotes about the happy couple.

Scully had warned Mulder she'd kill him if he smashed cake in her face and ruined her dress, but he couldn't resist taking a large dollop of icing and smearing it on her nose. Laughing, she pushed him away, causing him to drop his piece, which King sucked up like a vacuum cleaner before anyone could stop him.

"Your dog is bad, Scully."

"He's your dog later, when he has diarrhea," she scolded playfully.

Jackson and Scully hadn't had any shared visions since he'd moved in with them, but they maintained a connection. Mulder had said that, from his perspective, it looked much like the connections identical twins often appeared to share. Each had an innate sense of what the other was feeling. It wasn't a matter of being able to read each other's minds but getting impressions. Scully knew that Jackson felt socially awkward at school, and she felt his happiness at having met his Scully cousins. Matthew was studying computer science at UF, and the two boys had a lot to talk about.

Similarly, Jackson felt Scully's joy that day. His birthmother was over the moon, not only over her marriage but because her whole family was there for it, because _he_ was there for it.

When Arlene asked Jackson to record something for his birthparents, he wasn't sure what to say. He'd only been back in their lives for a couple of weeks, and it didn't feel right to talk about any of the memories they'd "shown" him in their shared dream. He decided on a simple message: "Uh, hey, Mulder and Dana. Congratulations for today, and … thanks for not giving up on me. Thanks for everything. That's it." After Arlene shut off the video, Jackson asked, "Do you think that's good enough?"

"I think it's perfect." She put her hand on his shoulder. "You have no idea how much your parents love you or how long they've wanted you back."

Jackson nodded, even though he did understand.

The reception went on into the late afternoon. Afterward, their friends and family insisted on cleaning everything up. Bill and Tara were the last guests to leave. Bill had been surprisingly civil, even jovial, throughout the reception, but Mulder didn't know what to expect when he approached them alone as Tara wrapped up the leftover cake to put away.

"Listen, Dana, Fox, I haven't always understood the choices you've both made. I sure as hell never understood your jobs. But with Mom and Dad gone, and Charlie … Well, who knows what's up with Charlie." He paused. This was obviously very difficult for him. "You seem to have a lot of good friends who think a lot of both of you, to do all of this stuff for you."

"It's okay, Bill," Scully said, taking her brother's hands in hers. "Families fight, but then they work things out. That's what makes them family. I know all of this is hard to understand. I have a hard time understanding it myself. But I want you to be part of Jackson's life, this new baby's life, and our lives."

"Thanks, Dana." Bill hugged his sister, and then turned to Mulder and extended his hand. "Congratulations. My mom loved you, and she wouldn't have felt that way if she didn't think you were good for Dana."

Mulder shook his hand, stunned. "Thanks, Bill. Dana is my whole world."

Bill nodded and went to join his wife in the house.

"I can't believe that just happened," Mulder whispered to Scully. "Did he suffer a head injury?"

Scully elbowed him. "He's had a really hard time since Mom died. I think it made him reflect on some things." She sighed. "I wish Mom could have been here to see us get married, and Melissa, and the Gunmen, too."

Mulder pulled her into an embrace and kissed the top of her head. "Our son, who has a psychic connection to you and powers none of us fully understand, was brought back to us by a woman we've never met, who apparently has powers of her own, who lives halfway across the country, who saw his and our future in a dream, and who appeared in a dream we shared with him and showed it to all of us. If all of that is possible, then it's possible that the people we've lost did see us get married today."

They stood on their porch together in the early evening darkness, Mulder standing behind Scully and wrapping his arms around her to ward off the chill. Jackson and their guests had finally left, and the house was strangely quiet. They were used to their son being around. He'd made a habit out of playing with the dog at this time of day, before dinner.

Mulder kissed the top of her head. "My wife."

Scully turned around, put her arms around his neck, and pulled him down for a kiss. "My husband."

"Mrs. Mulder."

"You know I'm not changing my name."

"But I can still call you Mrs. Mulder." He kissed her cheek and nuzzled her neck.

"And I can still call you Fox."

He ran his tongue down the curve of her neck. "It doesn't always sound bad, depending on the context."

She giggled. Occasionally, they called each other by their first names during intimate moments. He made his way up to her mouth and kissed her deeply as he gently tugged on her shoulder straps. "I love how you look in this," he said between kisses, "but you'd look even better out of it."

Before she knew what was happening, Mulder had scooped her up in his arms, and they both laughed as he carried her into the house. He deposited her on the floor just inside the doorway and bent down to kiss her again, cupping her ass and pulling her center into his. She could feel him hardening against her, and it caused a rush of wet warmth and light pulsations between her legs. He moved away from her mouth to slowly trail kisses down her neck and collarbone until he was just below her necklace and nuzzling in between her breasts. She moaned and tilted her head back as he moved his hands up to cup them and circle his thumbs around her hardened nipples.

He stood up and covered her mouth with his as he moved his hands around her back again, this time to undo her zipper. He kept kissing her as he pushed the dress down and off her, groaning his delight when he discovered that she was braless. She stood before him, smiling almost shyly, clad only in skimpy, lacy white panties and thigh-high stockings. She was fast approaching her second trimester and filling out more now, especially in her hips and breasts. The tummy bump that was barely noticeable three weeks before was more defined now. He knew that she felt self-conscious about her changing body, but he thought she was getting more beautiful every day. He pulled back and looked her up and down, grinning wickedly. "Hmmm. What shall I do with you, the lovely Mrs. Mulder, now that we have the whole house to play in?"

Recalling their reception, Scully had an idea. She pressed her nearly naked body against his and cupped the erection straining against his pants, making him whimper. "You seemed to enjoy smearing icing on me," she purred, "and there's a lot of cake left."

"Oooh, you've got a dirty mind, Mrs. Mulder."

"So do you, _Fox_ ," she said with mock irritation as she unbuckled his pants. "But before we have more dessert, I want a taste of sausage." She pushed his pants and boxers to the floor and licked her lips as she looked at his fully engorged cock, which stood straight out, pointing at her. "Pregnancy cravings, you know. Can't control them."

Before he knew it, she was on her knees, and his cock was disappearing into her warm mouth. He groaned, putting one hand on the back of her head and resisting the urge to thrust against her face. She applied firm and continuous suction to his entire length. Whenever she reached the head, she ever-so-gently teethed it and pressed the tip of her tongue against the opening before heading back down. All the while, she palmed his balls, caressing the ultra-sensitive skin at the bottom of his sac. She wasn't quiet about any of it, making sure that he heard her sucking him and groaning to let him know how much pleasure she was getting from giving pleasure to him.

"Jesus, Scully." He was able to take only a few minutes of her ministrations before he had to gently pull back and push her head away, which she knew was his signal that he was about to blow. He helped her to her feet, then lifted her up again. He cut her squeal short with a deep kiss, then kicked his pants away and carried her into the kitchen area. Thankfully, someone had cleared off the table; the only thing on it was their wedding cake topper. He carefully sat her down on the tabletop, grabbed the topper, and moved it to the kitchen counter. He quickly removed his shoes and socks, then his shirt and tie, and made his way to the refrigerator, his wet cock bobbing lewdly in front of him.

Even after giving their guests generous portions to take home with them, they still had about 1/3 of a cake left. It was chocolate and piled high with thick, rich buttercream icing. It was the kind of thing Scully would have never agreed to eat before the pregnancy; at best, she would have had a tiny sliver and scraped the icing off, Mulder thought with a smile. Pregnant Scully was more fun when it came to food, and they were going to have a lot of fun with this cake. He cut off a small corner piece, placed it on a paper towel, and brought it over to his waiting bride.

Scully looked right at him, put one hand underneath her panties, and stroked her labia, applying pressure with two fingers to her clit. Still maintaining eye contact, she pulled her hand out and sucked on her fingers. He put the cake down on the table beside her, put a dollop of icing on two of his fingers, and brought them to her mouth. She vocalized her pleasure with a throaty "Mmmmmmmm" as she licked both of his fingers, then took them into her mouth, sucking on them like she had his cock.

After she licked his fingers clean, she used the two fingers she'd shoved down her panties to feed Mulder some icing. He could smell and taste a faint hint of her pussy along with the icing. As he sucked and licked her fingers, he put one hand down her panties, caressing her labia and clit, then finding her opening and shoving two fingers up inside her and pumping. She bucked against him and moaned, then got some more icing and cake, smeared it on his neck and chest, and took her time licking it off as she slowly stroked his cock with her hand.

Once she had licked him clean, she got more food and applied it to her breasts, then made a trail all the way down her stomach, to the top of her panties. Mulder got the idea, and he liked it. He leaned over to kiss her, gently pushing her down onto the table. She tasted like chocolate and buttercream, and the tantalizing smell of her arousal wafted up from her center.

He slowly made his way down her body, licking the icing and cake off her breasts, taking the time to thoroughly suck and lightly teethe her nipples. Scully felt a sensation almost like an electric shock going from her nipples straight to her clit, and she thrust against him. Her breasts had gotten even more sensitive as her pregnancy progressed. Even the lightest touch to her nipples stimulated her whole body, and what Mulder was doing wasn't just a light touch. Once he was finished with her breasts, he began slowly making his way down the rest of the cake and icing trail, taking special care when he reached her tummy bump, caressing it with his hands and kissing it as he looked up at her with infinite love in his eyes. When he reached her panties, he pulled her forward just a bit so that her butt was on the edge of the table and pulled up a chair.

Oh my god, he's going to take his time eating me out, she thought, shuddering with anticipation. He began by kissing his way from her ankle all the way up the inner side of her legs. When he reached her crotch, he inhaled audibly and deeply.

"Fuck, you smell good."

He used his talented, slender fingers to tease her through her panties until she was begging him to take them off. When he finally did, he peeled them off slowly, grinning at her squirming under the exquisite torture. Her panties tossed aside, he dove in with gusto, cupping her ass cheeks with his hands and lapping up her juices, then using his nose to gently stimulate her clit as he tongue-fucked her.

Scully played with her breasts as she thrust against his face for all she was worth. When she began making noises that told Mulder she was close, he took one hand off her ass, plunged two fingers inside her, and curled them into a come-hither motion as he used the tip of his tongue to tease her clit. "OH MY FUCKING GOD, MULDER!" she screamed. She arched her back, and he felt the telltale pulsations around his fingers signaling her orgasm.

She laid back on the table, and he planted gentle kisses around her tummy bump as she caught her breath. Once she appeared to have come back down to Earth, he leaned over her and kissed her deeply, letting her taste the sweet and savory blend of sugar and sex he'd been enjoying.

"I need you inside me," she told him. He stood up and lifted her hips off the table just a bit so he could enter her. For Mulder, the visual experience of sex was as much of a turn-on as the act itself, and from his vantage point, he had an HD view of his cock moving in and out of his wife's pussy.

This wasn't the first time they'd fucked on the kitchen table, and he remembered exactly why he enjoyed it so much. They needed to do this more often.

Scully was likewise remembering what she'd liked about kitchen-table sex. From this angle, Mulder was able to fully fill her and hit her g-spot. She met him thrust for thrust, feeling a second orgasm building up inside her. Sensing that her husband wouldn't be able to hold on much longer, she let herself go, arching her back and crying out his name as fireworks exploded between her legs and waves of pleasure rocked the rest of her body.

Mulder joined her a few thrusts later with an orgasm so powerful, he felt it in his toes. After emptying inside her, he pulled out and sat back on the chair to catch his breath.

After a few minutes, Scully said, "You'd better get me a paper towel before I get up."

Mulder looked at his semen seeping out of her and onto the table. "Oh shit," he laughed. He got a wet paper towel and used it to clean her and the table off, then helped her to her feet and pulled her into a kiss. "I love you, Mrs. Mulder," he told her.

"I love you too, Fox," she said, gazing up at him. She'd heard other women her age complain about their lackluster or non-existent sex lives. She felt fortunate that she was unable to relate to them. After all these years, she still found her husband – her _husband_ – insanely attractive and eminently fuckable, and he desired her just as much. Their sex life was as good as it was when they first began dating. No, it's even better, she thought, since they knew each other's bodies so well. She looked at the wedding band on her finger, paired with her engagement ring. "You know, for years, I didn't think it mattered whether we ever got married, but now that we are, I realize that it does."

He held up his hand to her, displaying his own band. "I know what you mean. It does matter, and I should have asked you years ago. I'm so happy you're my wife. I don't know how I got so lucky."

"I'm the one who feels lucky, Mulder. I'm so lucky I met you. I've never been in love like this with anyone else, ever."

"Then I guess we both lucked out." He kissed her again.

"It's getting chilly. Why don't we put on robes and have some more cake – I mean, really eat it this time?" she laughed.

"Mmmmm. Sounds good," Mulder said, heading for the stairs. "I'll get the robes, and you get the cake."


	21. Chapter 21

**Beginning Notes:** There's another "mini-crossover" with _Queen of the South_ in this chapter, but you don't have to have seen QoS to understand the story.

 _"There's a flower that grows in the darkness. It's called lirio de los valles. It actually does better in the shade. It blooms in spite of the darkness. … So many reasons it shouldn't exist. It must be celebrated."_

 _~~ Teresa Mendoza, Queen of the South, S01E04_

 **October 2018**

Scully finished typing up her review of the autopsy report that Monica had requested her opinion on, hit send, then slowly and carefully rose from her chair. King looked up at her expectantly, and she assured him that everything was fine; she just had to urinate for about the 15th time in an hour. As her due date neared, their dog had been staying close to her, as if he sensed she needed extra protection. The puppy they had taken in months before had grown into a very large, imposing-looking dog. She waddled towards the bathroom, thankful that their office was on the second floor, where both bathrooms were. It would have been a colossal pain in the ass if they hadn't turned Mulder's old first-floor office into Jackson's bedroom.

Mulder and Jackson had spent the summer decluttering the house, rearranging it to suit the fact that a family was living there now and readying it for the baby's arrival. The tiny third bedroom upstairs, which Mulder had called a "storage room" and Scully called a "junk room," had been turned into a modest but functional office that acted as the official home base of their new consultancy, M&S Investigations. (Mulder had suggested "S&M," hoping that Scully wouldn't notice the double entendre. She had.) The day her boys hauled Mulder's desk from the living room up to the new office, Scully remarked to Mulder that they had finally moved up from the basement to the top floor.

Mulder had another office at Quantico, and she had one waiting for her if she wanted it. He taught a profiling class two days a week, and she had an open invitation to teach forensics once her maternity leave was over. They also lent their expertise to consulting for the X-Files Division, now headed up by Monica, as well as other FBI divisions, law enforcement agencies, and even the occasional individual around the country. Mulder had been right about the depth of their referral network. They didn't have to look for clients; clients found them, and even with help from Doggett and Skinner, both semi-retired now, they had to turn cases away. Although Scully was technically on leave, her at-home work providing second opinions on autopsy findings kept her busy. She had pulled back in the final month of her pregnancy, and the report she'd just completed was the last she had booked.

Jackson and his mother hadn't had any shared visions or dreams since the one they'd shared with Mulder all those months ago. They hypothesized it was because they lived together now; there was no need to communicate through dreams and visions when they could speak to each other whenever they wanted.

About halfway through Scully's pregnancy, Jackson had begun "hearing" Lily in a vague sense. "She doesn't have words, so it's more like impressions and feelings, like she's warm, or content, or uncomfortable," he'd explained.

After using the toilet, Scully waddled over to what would soon, very soon, be their baby daughter's bedroom. Scully had insisted that the room not be painted pink or have other stereotypically feminine decor. They'd ended up painting the walls a light grey and filling the room with bright, cheerful child's furniture. The corner where the baby's crib sat was accented with a colorful stencil of a whimsical woodland scene with a deer, an owl, a rabbit, and of course a fox. The baby mobile featured a sun, moon, and Earth with stars, an astronaut, a rocket ship, and a little UFO with a green alien inside.

In addition to Mulder going completely overboard, their friends and family had been sending them a steady stream of baby toys, children's books, and clothing, much of it featuring foxes and aliens. _This baby is going to be so spoiled,_ she thought as she looked around, her hands on her enormous midsection. While Lily was within normal limits, she was going to be a large baby.

A Halloween baby. When Dr. Adams had confirmed that Halloween was the expected due date, Mulder had been over the moon. Scully had tried to temper his enthusiasm by reminding him that a pregnancy due date was not a hard-and-fast deadline, but that didn't stop him from coming home with Halloween-themed baby clothes and enough Halloween decorations to set up a haunted house attraction. He had spent the better part of the day outside, turning the front yard area into a Halloween wonderland, complete with pumpkins, prop gravestones, and an assortment of inflatables.

Scully carefully made her way down the stairs, King loping behind her, and stepped out onto the porch, where Mulder was proudly surveying his work.

"The baby is going to love it!" he exclaimed, a goofy grin on his face.

"The baby isn't going to have any idea what's going on," Scully retorted, "and we never get any trick-or-treaters. This is all for you, Mulder, and you're taking everything down and putting it all away neatly after the holiday." The house was finally at the point where all of them could move around in it without bumping into things, and by god, it was staying that way. There would be no more "junk rooms."

King, confused, sniffed around Mulder's decorations and lifted his leg next to a gravestone. "HEY! NO! BAD!" Mulder screamed, rushing towards the dog as Scully doubled over in laughter, as much as a heavily pregnant woman could double over. Mulder groaned at his ruined décor. "Your dog is bad, Scully."

"You're the one who decided to decorate his bathroom."

Jackson's truck pulled up the drive. After he figured out where to park amidst Mulder's Halloween decorations, he stepped out, carrying his books, a pretty Latina girl with him. Mulder and Scully liked Isabella. She was a bright, creative girl whose family owned a local independent funeral home. She insisted it was haunted. Mulder and Jackson believed her and were entranced by her stories. Scully sided with the girl's parents, who pointed to their daughter's very active imagination and the influence of her rather superstitious, Old World grandmother.

Isabella looked at the yard appreciably. "Cool decorations, Mr. Mulder!" Like Mulder, she viewed Halloween as a bigger holiday than Christmas. "I think my parents might have a couple of casket ends from models they don't sell anymore, those things they put on display walls. Want me to ask them? They'd look great in your graveyard!"

Mulder grinned. "Thank you, Isabella. I'll take them!"

Now it was Scully's turn to groan. Why couldn't her son be dating the veterinarian's daughter?

"We're going to go study for calc," Jackson said as he and Isabella approached the porch.

"Door OPEN, Jackson!" Scully reminded him, getting a "Yeah, yeah, yeah" as the teens disappeared into the house.

Isabella was special. Not special like Jackson or his mother, but special like Teresa. Her abilities were not engineered; she had been born with them. Teresa saw glimpses of the future. Isabella saw glimpses of the dead.

Jackson could be honest with Isabella about himself and his family. She didn't shrink away from him; she accepted and embraced him for who he was. She was supposed to have met him, she said, just as she was supposed to have been born to parents in the funeral business. She also felt strongly that Jackson had a special purpose in life, and that being sent back to his birthparents, who also had a special purpose, was no accident. He was supposed to find them again.

Jackson was uncomfortable with this. He knew that the cigarette-smoking bastard who he'd sent straight to Hell had claimed he had a "special purpose" as well: to bring about the end of the world. But his girlfriend was adamant that the purpose she envisioned was something positive. "Maybe that was your purpose, to kill him and end his plans, but I don't think so," she said. "There's something else. I don't know what. Something. I can feel it. I don't think it's happened yet."

 **Early morning, October 31, 2018**

 _They were sitting together on a beach in some exotic, faraway land. It was the first time he'd dreamed of her since she'd shown him the future she'd wanted him to return to and claim. "I did what you asked," Jackson told Teresa. "I haven't tried to contact you. I've seen you in the news. They say you're a murderer, that you killed Epifanio in cold blood."_

 _Teresa shook her head. "You know it's more complicated than that, Jackson."_

 _"I know. I know you."_

 _She put her arms around the young man she'd treated as a surrogate son and pulled him into an embrace. Then, she sat back, keeping her hands on his shoulders and giving him a level look. "Your sister will be born very soon. There are so many reasons this child should not have existed. When your parents leave for the hospital, you must go with them. Don't let them leave without you. Do you understand?"_

 _"What? Why?"_

 _"This is important, Jackson, and we don't have a lot of time. You must go with your parents to the hospital. Promise me that you will go with them."_

 _"Okay, I promise, but why-?"_

 _"You will know what to do."_

Jackson's eyes snapped open at banging on his bedroom door and Mulder shouting on the other side of it. He looked at the clock beside his bed; it was just after 2:00 a.m. "Jackson! Jackson, wake up!"

"Yeah, I'm awake. Come in."

Mulder opened the door. He looked nervous but elated. "I'm taking Scully to the hospital. It's time."

Jackson nodded and was about to tell Mulder he'd come by the hospital later. Then, he remembered his dream. _You must go with your parents. Promise me that you will._ He jumped out of bed and grabbed a pair of jeans. "I'll be ready in a minute."

Mulder shook his head. "No, you've got school today, that big calculus exam? You can't miss that. Just keep your phone on you."

"No, Mulder, I have to come." He pulled on a tee-shirt and hoodie. "I can make up the test. I have to come."

"Jackson, no. Everything is going to be fine. You need to go take your test."

Jackson was frantic. He grabbed Mulder by the shoulders. "You don't understand. _I have to go with you guys._ She told me it was important, and I promised her."

"What? Promised who?"

"Mulder, I just saw Teresa in a dream, or a vision, or whatever. I have to come with you." Mulder looked confused. "Listen, it's, what, two in the morning? The test isn't until after lunch. I can come with you guys to the hospital, and if everything is fine, I can go to school late."

Scully called for Mulder from upstairs, and he sighed. He had about a million thoughts and emotions racing through his head and heart at once, and he didn't have the mental space to argue about this right now. "Okay, fine." He tossed the car keys at Jackson. "Go start the SUV and turn on the heater to warm it up. I'll go get Scully. I'm driving, though."

"We're going to have a Halloween baby! We're going to have a Halloween baby!"

Jackson had never seen Mulder so elated. Scully, too, was smiling despite the pain of contractions, holding her belly as she sat in the front passenger seat. They were nearing the freeway entrance, and so far, nothing of note had happened. Jackson was starting to wonder if his dream had been just that, a dream, nothing more.

"OH GOD HERE'S ANOTHER ONE ARRRGGGHHH!" Scully screwed up her face, gritted her teeth, and breathed her way through it. Once she'd settled down, she asked Jackson, "Can you feel anything from her right now? How does she feel?"

Jackson concentrated for a moment. "Pressure, not painful, but different. Something is different. She can tell something is happening."

That was the last thing he remembered saying before he heard Mulder yelp, then saw a bright light and heard a very loud GOONNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGG reverberating through his skull, like someone was ringing the Liberty Bell next to his head.

Then silence and darkness, and a strange smell, and something soft in his face. Then screaming. Lily was screaming. Mulder was screaming. Mulder and Lily were screaming.

Scully was silent.

"SCULLY! SCULLAAAAYYYYYYY!"

The SUV rested on the side of a rural road a couple of miles from the freeway entrance. They were the only ones around. They had hit a utility pole, the passenger side having gotten it the worst, and all the airbags had deployed. Semi-conscious, Jackson had a vague sense – Did he watch it happen, or just think he did? – of Mulder calling to Scully from the driver seat, then, getting no response, stumbling out of his side of the car and over to hers.

"Oh my god oh my god no no no no no NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! SCULLAYYYYYYY!"

Jackson felt himself come awake. When he'd been shot in the head, the pain had been concentrated there. Now, he hurt everywhere. He felt the regenerative energy rising up inside him.

 _You will know what to do._

Lily's screams were getting weaker; Mulder's screams and pleas were getting more desperate. He pushed the regenerative energy back.

He knew what he had to do. He had to conserve it, and he had to get out of the car. He just prayed to whatever god may have been listening that this would work. His body objected to moving; the regenerative energy objected to being tamped down, and the car door objected to opening. By sheer force of will, he forced the door open and stumbled out of the passenger side.

It felt like walking through knee-high wet cement while enveloped in a thick red fog.

Scully's door was open. Mulder was on his phone with a 911 operator, crying and screaming. His nose was bloody, and he looked like he'd just bee on the wrong end of a fistfight, but he didn't seem to notice. Jackson thought he heard something about swerving to avoid a deer. He wasn't sure. It took everything he had to exit the car and move towards his mother, who was slumped against the airbag, motionless. He couldn't see any injuries, but there was blood visible between her legs. She and the baby had been knocked around, and something had ruptured inside.

Mulder let go of the phone. "Jackson! JACKSON! Can you help her? Please tell me you can help her, please, please, please…" Mulder stepped away from Scully to give Jackson room to move in, then crumpled to his knees.

Not able to speak, Jackson just nodded. He could still hear Lily's screams; that was good. Screaming meant that she was still feeling and living. He could feel Scully, too, a whisper deep in his mind. _Help her._ Not help _me,_ Jackson noticed, but help _her._

"Helping you both," he managed to get out. His tongue was thick, and his words were slurred. He took Scully's right hand in both of his and focused for all he was worth. He had done this before, but never to someone (two people) so severely injured, and never when he was injured himself. He saw the regenerative energy in his mind's eye as a burning light; he drew a deep breath and exhaled, picturing it pushing it out of his body and into hers, seeking, finding the rupture, regenerating, repairing, giving life back to his mother and his sister.

It wasn't just in his mind's eye anymore. It was visible now, glowing and burning as it went out of him and into Scully. With each deep breath and exhale, he pushed more and more, every bit of it he could muster. He felt like his bones were cracking, like his head was swelling and burning and going to explode into flames, but he kept pushing until Lily stopped screaming. She was okay. Unhappy from having experienced pain, a completely new sensation to her, but okay.

He heard Scully gasp and felt her jerk. He opened his eyes to see her looking right at him. Then he heard Mulder scream her name and his. He tried to turn to look at his father, but he had reached the limits of his endurance. He heard emergency sirens in the distance, but they sounded like they were underwater. He tried to smile at Scully but wasn't sure he succeeded. That's when everything went dark.

"Scully Scully oh my god Scully!" Mulder jumped to his feet and moved to help his family. Only moments ago, his wife had looked pale and dead. Unfortunately, now their son looked pale and dead. He wasn't sure who to go to first.

"Mulder?"

"Can you get up?"

"I – I think so." Scully looked around and noticed Jackson on the ground beside the car. "JACKSON!" she fumbled with her seatbelt. "I think it's stuck. Mulder, what happened?"

Mulder knelt beside his son. "Fucking deer in the middle of the road. I had to swerve so I didn't hit it." He put his finger on Jackson's neck. "He's breathing, and he's got a pulse. WHOA!" Mulder jerked away from his son as if he'd just been burned. Jackson's body briefly illuminated in a faint glow, then faded. He was still unconscious, but his color had returned.

"ARRGGGHHHHH!"

Mulder's heart went into his throat. "Are you okay, honey?"

"Yeah, just another contraction." She saw the blood between her legs and blanched.

"Scully, you won't believe what happened. Jackson, he – he saved you. I watched him. It was incredible. Do you remember any of it?"

She shook her head. "No, I just remember us talking, and me asking Jackson if he could hear Lily."

Jackson groaned, and Mulder gingerly tapped his shoulder. "Jackson! You there?"

"Yeah, I – are they okay?" He tried to sit up.

"I think so, thanks to you. Don't try to get up. The ambulance is almost here."

Jackson smiled at his father. "Told you I needed to come."

The emergency vehicles showed up moments later. Jackson was concussed and needed fluids. Mulder had a broken nose. The firefighters had to cut the seatbelt to get Scully out of the car, and the paramedics were very concerned about the blood, but to their confusion, they couldn't find anything wrong with her or the baby – other than that she was coming fast.

"Looks like you're going to get your Halloween baby," Scully said as she was loaded into the ambulance.

Jackson had repaired the hemorrhage, along with any other effects from the accident, but the jolt had apparently pushed the labor along. Scully went straight from the ambulance into the delivery room, Mulder insisting on following despite the doctors wanting to check him for head injuries. "I'll get scanned and jabbed after my wife has her baby," he'd snapped at the paramedics and the ER staff.

Dr. Adams had been paged and met them at the hospital. Mulder heard the paramedics tell her that they'd tried to figure out what had caused Scully to bleed, to no avail. Whatever it was, it had stopped. Other than being in active labor, she was fine, and they couldn't detect any signs of fetal distress, either. The doctor was perplexed but decided to put her questions aside when she saw how close Scully was to delivery. She hurried away to scrub up and instructed a nurse to get Mulder a set of scrubs.

Despite all the reasons she should never have existed, Lily Margaret Mulder, the child that blossomed in darkness, officially arrived at 4:06 a.m. on Halloween 2018, squalling her extreme displeasure at her tumultuous entry into the world.

After the nurses cleaned Lily up, weighed her, and checked her vitals, they wrapped her in a blanket and brought her back to her parents so that Scully could feed her. She weighed just over 8 pounds and was long and lean, like her father, with a tuft of Scully red hair on her head. Her nose and cheekbones were Scully's, and she had Mulder's eyes and full lips. She latched on to Scully's breast as soon as it was offered to her and began feeding with gusto.

"She's her father's daughter, Mulder," Scully laughed. Mulder was amazed; for all the pain she had been in only a short while before, his wife was absolutely radiant.

"She's so beautiful. Thank you, Dana," Mulder told her, kissing her forehead and snuggling up to her as she fed their infant daughter. Mulder never thought he could love another woman as much as his Scully, but looking at his Lily, he knew he would do anything for her.

Another doctor entered the room. "Excuse me, are you Mr. and Mrs. Mulder?" he asked, looking down at his electronic tablet.

"I'm Dr. Scully, and this is my husband, Fox Mulder," Scully responded, irritation in her voice. She'd just given birth and wasn't in the mood to suffer fools.

The doctor looked embarrassed. "I apologize. I'm Dr. DeSanctis. I'm treating your son, Jackson Van De Kamp."

"How is he?"

"He suffered a mild concussion, dehydration, and some soft tissue contusions. We're giving him fluids and want to keep him for observation, but I anticipate releasing him later today." He smiled at the baby. "Congratulations. I can have a nurse bring him to see you once we've got you in your room."

The doctors couldn't understand it. The family was the talk of the hospital.

Clearly, this patient had suffered some sort of rupture during the car accident – given her history, they suspected a placental abruption – but there was no sign of it. No scan or test could find a reason why she had bled on the scene, and other than going more quickly than would be expected, the delivery had been textbook-perfect. The patient was fine; she didn't even look like she'd _been_ in an accident. Her husband had been on the side of the car that had suffered less damage, but he looked far worse for the wear.

Then there was the matter of their son, the boy with a last name different than theirs. He arrived at the hospital concussed, dehydrated, and with an elevated body temperature, but his improvement had been nothing short of remarkable. He had objected to being transported in a wheelchair to see his parents and his new sister, insisting that he could walk on his own.

Nobody could understand it.

Once Mulder had begun making calls and sending texts, Scully's room began to flood with gifts: flowers and balloons from Skinner, Monica and John, Scott and Ben, Karen, Tara and Bill, Isabella's parents, and even a few of Mulder's co-workers at Quantico.

Then, there was the gift from a family friend who wished to remain anonymous, a lily of the valley bouquet.

The unsigned card read, "She blooms despite the darkness. She must be celebrated."

 **End Notes:** This seems a good a place as any to end this installment of _The Next Files_ , but I have more planned for this "universe." Thanks for sticking with it; be seeing you!


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